The Japanese unit of Germany's BMW AG and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. have launched a joint program in April aimed at training auto mechanics in Japan as part of efforts to address a "severe" labor shortage in the industry.
The program, led by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan, seeks to provide a platform to train a new generation of mechanics in three years, shorter than the five years usually needed to acquire necessary skills.
Under the program, which is based on Germany's dual vocational training system, trainees will sign a contract with the automakers to spend over 70 percent of the year for on-the-job training at their outlets or dealerships while attending schools in the remaining time.
Trainees will receive financial assistance such as salary and tuition and are expected to be employed at the two automakers upon completion of the program. They will also be given a German auto mechanic certificate, they said.
"A shortage of experts is bringing various social problems in both Japan and Germany and it's particularly severe in the auto industry," Lucas Witoslawski, deputy delegate of the chamber of commerce, told reporters at the German Embassy in Tokyo on April 4.
"By introducing this program, we hope to offer help to the industry," he said, noting that the organization's recent survey on over 160 German companies in Japan found 82 percent of respondents faced difficulties in securing skilled workers.
Mitsubishi Fuso, a unit of German-based Daimler Truck AG, said 18 employees are joining this year's program while BMW said it plans to send several workers.
The chamber of commerce said it plans to discuss with Japanese authorities making the certificate given after completing the program compatible with the Japanese license for mechanics.
The number of auto mechanics in Japan has been shrinking due to the country's declining population and the widely-held image that it is a tough and dirty job, according to industry experts.
Despite the trend, the role they play is becoming increasingly important as more cars become electrified and equipped with sophisticated software, automakers say.
In Germany, the government-backed vocational training program offers training in over 320 job categories such as hotel hospitality, warehouse management and truck driving through partnerships with private companies.
To promote foreign trade, the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad has been expanding the program overseas, with the number of countries introducing the program now reaching 48. Japan is taking part for the first time, the chamber of commerce said.
