A Japanese government panel has submitted a report to the justice minister, proposing the introduction of a new on-the-job training program for foreign workers.

The panel of experts compiled the report last week.

The report recommends abolishing the existing initiative for foreign technical trainees, which was cited for labor abuses, and replacing it with the new program.

The report says the new scheme would aim to train foreign interns to obtain a certain level of knowledge and skills for three years in principle.

It would be applied to the same industries that are covered by the current program, such as nursing care, construction and agriculture.

The report also says that foreign interns would be allowed to change their employers in the same field, if they have worked for more than a year and have certain technical and Japanese language abilities.

Justice Minister Koizumi Ryuji, who received the report, said that the panel has considered the program with enthusiasm and from deep and broad viewpoints.

He said that his ministry will study concrete ways on how to design and establish the new program with relevant ministries and agencies based on the panel's report.

The Japanese government hopes to submit related bills to the ordinary session of the Diet next year.

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

Reports say some of them have suffered human rights infringements by Japanese colleagues and there have even been cases of their involvement in illegal activities.

Officials say thousands of trainees go missing every year. Experts point out that they are not paid properly for their work.