Photo/Illutration Indian trainees attend a class at a facility that teaches Japanese caregiving techniques in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, on Aug. 2. (Provided by Sompo Care Inc.)

A major nursing care provider has responded to Japan’s caregiver shortage by opening a training facility near New Delhi in India this month, to teach Japanese and caregiving-techniques to recruits.

Sompo Care Inc., a subsidiary of Sompo Holdings Inc., plans to train caregivers overseas and continuously employ them at its facilities in Japan.

This is the first time a Japanese nursing care provider has set up a training center abroad.

The company has also announced a plan to hire 310 new foreign caregivers by fiscal 2026, with more than 140 recruits coming from the training center in India.

Currently, Sompo Care employs around 240 caregivers from countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines, a number expected to double in the next three years.

The training center in India operates in collaboration with a subsidiary of the National Skill Development Corp.—an organization affiliated with the Indian government that provides Japanese language classes to Indian citizens wishing to work in Japan’s nursing care industry.

The new training center’s program lasts for nine months and includes online classes on Japanese caregiving and language techniques. The Sompo Care staff also teach practical skills using caregiving equipment in a training room modeled after actual Japanese nursing care facilities.

The program also explains cultural differences between Japan and India, and provides essential information for living in Japan.

Those who complete the training will take a test to obtain a “specified skilled worker” visa, which is required to work in Japan.

After passing the test, caregivers will be assigned as fully trained staff in Sompo Care's nursing homes and other facilities.

Japan’s nursing care industry is facing a severe labor shortage due to low wages and other factors.

According to estimates released in July by the welfare ministry, Japan will need roughly 2.72 million caregivers by fiscal 2040. If the number of caregivers remains the same as in fiscal 2022, there will be a shortage of around 570,000 workers.

In 2022, for the first time, more caregivers left their jobs than were hired, resulting in a net loss of workers.

To mitigate the domestic caregiver shortage, Japanese nursing providers have recruited foreign workers, mainly from Southeast Asia.

However, competition with other developed countries for workers is making recruitment more difficult.

Sompo Care sees significant potential in recruiting from India, a country with the world’s largest population.

“Many other companies in the same industry are also interested in hiring from India,” said Takamitsu Washimi, president of Sompo Care.

This initiative could encourage other companies in the industry to follow suit.

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