Radio Kosaten#12 A Network for Cambodian Technical Trainees

Radio Kosaten 4th June 2pm A Network for Cambodian Technical Trainees in Japan
There are currently over 200 Cambodian Technical Trainees in Japan working in construction, shipbuilding, fisheries and nursing.
The majority of these trainees came to Japan by paying a heavy fee to a coordinating agency, with hopes that they would be able to earn much more during their three year "traineeship".
The number of Cambodian trainees is relatively small compared to several thousand from China and Vietnam, but they are steadily growing in number.
Despite this there is very little provision of information for trainees in their mother tongue of Khmer. Many trainees have only a small grasp of Japanese and can not speak English.
If they come upon problems in their host company and try to seek help with unions, hospitals and labor centers, usually there is no translation service avaliable to them.
When they are contacted by the city office with regard to insurance and other official procedures there is no Khmer translation and many are uncertain what is expected of them in a system very different to their own country.
With the wide spread exploitation of technical trainees in general, it is vital to have language services for those who have been supposedly invited to Japan to take up new skills, while in fact keeping failing industries afloat.
In this radio two trainees who are coming to the end of their official "traineeship" but who have suffered or seen many problems during their stay, will share information in both Khmer, English and Japanese for technical trainees around the country and those wishing to support them.