The company Dive, which handles foreign staff dispatch services as well as outsourcing for resorts, has started a paid internship program for foreign students. The internships are for hotels and ryokan.
The program is offered with the aim of supporting job hunting support for the increasing number of foreign students in Japan, and offering staffing support for the tourism industry, which has a labor shortage. Foreign students register for Dive, and the company dispatches them to hotels and ryokan. From there, Dive pays the salaries for foreign students and gives them feedback. The program not only helps hotels and ryokan deal better with inbound tourists and labor shortages, it also gives the foreign students a chance to learn work skills and Japanese business manners, as well as develop their communication skills.
According to the Japan Student Services Organization （JASSO）, the total number of foreign students in 2018 was 298,980, a 12% increase compared to the previous year. The foreign student population in Japan has been continuously increasing for the past six years. The number of foreign students looking for work at Japanese companies is also on the rise; 22,419 in 2018, additional 2,984 compared to the previous year. 2018 also saw the number of foreign tourists exceed 30 million. Improving service for foreign tourists is one of the urgent tasks for the tourism industry.
Because foreign workers can learn new skills through their internships in this program, it’s expected that their work activities will help with revitalizing the economy of Japan.
[Reference page] Foreign students have increased for six consecutive years, more looking for work compared to previous year. Dive starts paid internship program connecting tourism industry and foreign students
[Reference page] Results of 2018 JASSO foreign student enrollment survey
[Reference page] Ministry of Justice: Regarding 2017 job hunting for foreign students who looked for work in Japanese companies
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