1st Group of Technical Intern Trainees and Chefs arrived in Japan

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines announced that the first group of 18 technical intern trainees and chefs hired through MOL’s recruitment agency in the Philippineshave completed their training program in Philippines and have taken up their posts at Tokyu Hotels & Resorts across Japan.  MOL and Tokyu Hotels & Resorts formed a consulting business alliance on recruitment of global human resources in December 2022, and have been working to recruit and train workers from overseas

Technical intern trainees will learn through working at Tokyu Hotels & Resorts’ lodging facilities, handling customer service and other roles, while the chefs will work in the kitchens preparing foreign cuisine.

In a recent event to recruit chefs, a company briefing session and hands-on cooking seminar were held by Tokyu Hotels & Resorts President Murai and Chief Executive Chef Toshinori Sogabe at MOL’s partner Magsaysay’s training institute in Manila. The event attracted more than 100 people, leading to an increase in the number of applicants and candidates coming to Japan.

Two companies are continuously working to expand recruiting foreign staff and will try to incease to 10% of the total number of employees as a goal for the future of Tokyu Hotels & Resorts to accommodate the sharp increasing number of foreign visitors to Japan.

Due to the recovery of economic activity following the COVID-19 pandemic, the rapid resumption of international tourism, and an increase in domestic travel, the shortage of labor has become a concern in the service industry in general, including the lodging and restaurant industry, and securing capable personnel has become an increasingly important issue. The creation of a business alliance between MOL, which has decades of experience recruiting and training foreign seafarers, and Tokyu Hotels & Resorts, which operates a wide range of hotel businesses in Japan and overseas, allows the two companies will leverage each other’s strengths and connect workers and companies across borders to address labor shortages in the service industry in Japan and overseas, and contribute to the sustainable development of local communities.