未熟練労働者、３年で特定技能　技能実習廃止へ最終案―有識者会議

　外国人技能実習制度の見直しを検討する政府の有識者会議（座長＝田中明彦・国際協力機構理事長）は１８日、同制度の廃止と、「人材確保」に主眼を置く新制度の創設を求める最終報告のたたき台をまとめた。未熟練労働者として受け入れた外国人を３年間で一定の知識・技能が必要な「特定技能１号」の水準に育成する方針を掲げた。外国人の中長期的な就労を促し、人手不足の解消につなげる。
　新制度は、未熟練労働者として受け入れる対象を、建設や農業など特定技能と同じ分野に限定。外国人が業務の中で習得すべき主な技能を定め、試験などで評価する仕組みを導入する。技能や日本語能力の試験に合格すれば、最長５年滞在できる「１号」への移行を可能とした。不合格でも再受験のため最長１年の在留継続を認める。（2023/10/18-15:31）

Japan should create a program facilitating the training of unskilled foreign workers so that they can acquire the so-called specified skills allowing longer-term residency in three years, a government panel said Wednesday.
   In a rough draft of its planned final report, the panel, chaired by Akihiko Tanaka, president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, noted a need to encourage foreigners to work in Japan for longer in order to combat the country's labor shortages.
   The draft, submitted at the day's meeting of the panel, proposed that the existing controversial foreign technical intern training program be abolished and replaced by a new program focused on securing human resources.
   Under the envisaged program, unskilled foreign workers would be accepted only in construction, agriculture and some other industries currently permitted under the system that grants longer-term residency to foreigners with government-designated specified skills.
   The accepted workers would be required to gain a preset range of skills, and their proficiency would be evaluated mainly through tests.