Proud Partners Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Ryuji Suzuki), in response to the severe labor shortage in Japan, signed an international labor agreement with the Migration Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan in September 2025. In February 2026, with strong support from the Uzbek government, the company opened the UPA (Uzbekistan Proud Academy) training facility in Angren, Tashkent Region, Uzbekistan.
On April 27, 2026, eight UPA students passed the JFT-Basic (A2 level) test, and on May 14, 2026, the same eight students passed the Automotive Transport Industry Tokutei Ginou (Specified Skilled Worker) No. 1 evaluation test. This means all eight students have now met the entry requirements to work in Japan as Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 drivers.
Achieving these results in just over three months is attributed to the industrious nature of the trilingual Uzbek people and the high-quality, high-speed educational environment at UPA. Currently, UPA is focusing on a "Specified Skilled Worker Development Project specialized in the transport industry" to send safe, ready-to-work truck drivers from Uzbekistan to Japan.
Proud Partners oversees the operation of UPA, providing Japanese language education and instruction on Japanese behavioral habits. Students are selected based on a screening process that assesses their character, work ethic, and affinity for Japanese culture.
Following their JFT-Basic success in April, the eight students immediately began training for the automotive transport sector and passed their certification exams in May. UPA continues to use both classroom learning and activity-based training to ensure quality and speed in human resource development.
Testimonials from the students highlight the effectiveness of the training: Yusupov Odiljon mentioned completing a course in three months that usually takes eight; Halimov Sobitxon praised the learning environment; and Sharobidinov Ro`zivoy noted receiving job offers from multiple Japanese companies.
Management emphasized that the success is due to the students' hard work and a cultural tendency to help each other, which is highly commendable.
FACT BOX
- Source: PR TIMES
- Category: Event