JR East and JARTS to Accept Corporate Applications for Specified Skilled Worker Training to Address Railway Labor Shortages

East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and the Japan International Consultants for Transportation (JARTS) are continuing last year's initiative by calling on railway operators nationwide to participate in the Specified Skilled Worker Training Program. They will begin accepting corporate applications for this year's program on Monday, June 22, 2026, with the deadline set for Friday, July 17.

This training program focuses heavily on helping trainees acquire basic railway technical knowledge and pass the evaluation exam required for the 'Specified Skilled Worker No. 1' visa. Nationwide railway operators will consolidate applications from their own companies and their affiliated railway construction companies (host companies). This marks the second time the program is being implemented as a cross-industry educational platform. The most significant feature is that trainees can participate without any financial burden, as round-trip travel expenses, training fees, and living costs are fully covered. After passing the evaluation exam and obtaining a visa, they will engage in railway maintenance work at the host companies.

Looking at past results, the JR East Group conducted a trial training session from February to March 2025, where 24 out of 25 participants passed the exam, and 23 are already employed. Building on this, the program launched in February 2026 was opened to external operators. A total of 113 trainees, who had received preliminary job offers from 47 companies, underwent a 4-week training program. Of those, 98 individuals, representing an 87% pass rate, successfully passed the evaluation exam and are scheduled to start working at their host companies this summer or later.

For this fiscal year, the training will take place at the JR East General Training Center in Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture, with a capacity of approximately 100 participants. The schedules are as follows: Rolling Stock Maintenance from mid-to-late February to mid-to-late March 2027; Track Maintenance from February 26 to March 26, 2027 (exam on March 27); and Electrical Facilities Maintenance from February 14 to March 14, 2027 (exam on March 15).

Moving forward into fiscal 2027 and beyond, JARTS plans to continue this program as an open platform capable of training up to 100 people per session, considering holding it more than twice a year based on industry needs. Additionally, JARTS will soon sign a memorandum of understanding with three schools in Indonesia to provide free local learning opportunities for about 35 students and graduates starting in autumn 2026, aiming to help them acquire the N4 equivalent Japanese language certification required for the visa. Furthermore, in preparation for the new 'Training Employment System' scheduled to begin in fiscal 2027, JARTS is developing packaged services that include post-entry lectures, basic training, and Japanese language courses to lower the hurdles for companies looking to hire foreign talent.