A Japanese government panel has proposed that a new on-the-job training program for foreign workers be introduced to replace the current system for foreign technical trainees.

The move comes after the existing scheme, which includes an up-to five-year commitment and prohibits workers from moving to another employer, was cited for labor abuses.

In a final report on Friday, the expert panel recommended replacing the current initiative with one that would allow foreign workers to switch employers under certain conditions.

The report says the new program would aim to train interns basically for three years and would cover specialized knowledge and skills in such industries as nursing care, construction and agriculture.

The report says if the trainees have worked for more than a year and have acquired certain technical and Japanese language abilities, they should be allowed to change their employers within the same field.

But employers in Japan are concerned that the changes could encourage trainees in rural areas to move to urban areas where wages are relatively higher.

Japanese employers are also concerned about how to share the cost of training foreign workers among stakeholders.

Under the current system, many trainees pay substantial fees to staffing agencies and brokers in their home countries.

Japanese firms are concerned that their share of costs may increase as the new program would have a framework for them to share the costs that trainees pay to participate in the current program.

Murata Kazutoshi has accepted foreign technical trainees for many years at his strawberry farm in Hokota City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

He expressed his support for the new on-the-job training program, which he views as being closer to reality in that foreign technical trainees are just workers.

He also said that additional costs may deal a blow to farmers, but that farmers need to improve the working environment so that they can be chosen by participants of the new program.

The panel plans to submit its report to Justice Minister Koizumi Ryuji as soon as next week.