Learning to Lead Promoting Foreign Staff to ManagementーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS

Why It Matters

Promoting foreign employees into leadership helps Japanese firms mitigate workforce shortages while boosting productivity and employee loyalty.

Key Takeaways

• Shipbuilder promotes foreign workers to management amid Japan’s labor shortage
• 60% of workforce are overseas hires; two now hold managerial roles
• Indonesian manager improves safety, organization, and multilingual communication
• Company invests in skill development, e.g., crane operator certification
• Retaining foreign talent may become essential for regional firms

Summary

NHK World‑Japan reports that a shipbuilding firm in Hiroshima’s islands is promoting foreign workers to management to combat Japan’s chronic labor shortage.

The company, with 150 employees, now has 60 % of its staff from abroad. In 2024 it elevated Indonesian technician Budi Sumodianto to a supervisory role, tasking him with shift scheduling, tool organization and dormitory oversight.

Sumodianto says the promotion motivates him to “do my very best.” He introduced multilingual safety posters, labeled tool cabinets, and is training to earn a crane‑operator license, demonstrating hands‑on skill development.

The move signals that regional manufacturers may need to cultivate diverse talent pipelines and invest in career pathways to retain essential workers, a strategy likely to spread as foreign labor numbers rise.

Original Description

A shipbuilder in Hiroshima promotes an Indonesian worker into management as it looks for ways to retain foreign employees in the face of labor shortages. It shows how advancement can help regional companies build a stable workforce.

More stories on Japan: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/tags/2/

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