Indonesian Migrant Workers’ lack of knowledge about work regulations – about both Japanese labor and immigration – as well as a lack of knowledge about the prevailing culture in Japanese society, has the potential to trigger stress. This can lead to Indonesian Migrant Worker’s actions that are categorized as rule violations.
Issues regarding the vulnerability of migrant worker (prospective apprentices) especially those who want to work in Japan, to take part in the Technical Training Program Intern worker (Technical Intern Training Program) — including the violation of rights without getting advocacy — the background for the Japanese Regional Study Community Service Team, School of Strategic and Global Studies, Universitas Indonesia (UI) to carry out community service activities.
“This outreach was held with the aim of providing understanding to prospective Indonesian Migrant Workers and equipping themselves with information on labor regulations such as Indonesian Migrant Workers rights while working, information on visa application procedures until arrival in Japan, Japanese corporate culture and Japanese living habits, so that can minimize violations and the potential to become illegal workers,” said the Head of Community Service, Dr. Kurniawaty Iskandar, M.A.
The presentation of material on “Rights and Obligations of PMI” including the procedure for making a “Technical Intern Training Program (TITP)” visa was presented Universitas Indonesia Japanese Regional Study student Sari Anggaini who has a background as an ASN at the Directorate General of Immigration. Sari explained how important knowledge of visa procedures is for interns who are foreigners in Japan. It would be a problem if the apprentice only understands about skills without information about visas as permission to live and work in Japan. Sari also found that many Socialization participants did not understand the visa procedures.
Furthermore, the second speaker Refananta Airlangga, Japanese Regional Study student who is an alumnus of TITP internship, delivered material entitled “Japanese Corporate Culture”. The material provided was his experience working for a Japanese company engaged in timber in rural Japan. This was followed by Marcellino Sebastian, who shared his experience interacting with Japanese people while studying at the Japanese Language School in Yokohama.
The head of Kaina Vocational Training Institute, Teguh Adikoesuma Putra, and the head of Indrawijaya Vocational Training Institute, Andri Yandi, expressed their gratitude and appreciation to the Pengmas Universitas Indonesia School of Strategic and Global, Japanese Regional Studies for their help in legality and learning Japanese culture. “The material provided by the Universitas Indonesia School of Strategic and Global, Japanese Regional Studies community service team is very useful and provides knowledge for prospective migrant workers in equipping themselves while working in Japan,” Teguh said.
The Universitas Indonesia School of Strategic and Global, Japanese Regional Studies community service team carried out an activity entitled “Socialization of Rights and Regulations Awareness for prospective migrant workers to Japan in order to reduce the risk of violating work rules and the potential to become illegal workers” which was held at Kaina Vocational Training Institute and Indrawijaya Vocational Training Institute, Indramayu, West Java. Dr. Kurniawaty Iskandar, as the head of the community service, designed this socialization with eight community service teams who are Universitas Indonesia Japanese Regional Studies students. The activity took place on December 17 and 18, 2021 offline.
