Puri: "Watashi wa nihongo o benkyō shi, Nihon de kōkyū no shigoto ni tsukimashita." ... Incomprehensible? Confused? Well, this in Japanese probably means, "I have learnt Japanese and got a job in Japan with a high salary." When Vikash Kumar Gupta fluently uttered these words, it certainly was beyond the understanding of most, including Odias. But for Vikash, a tile carpenter from Puri, learning Japanese language and script along with basic IT training, was a game changer. And it has been so for many others, who are today, placed in companies in Japan and earning handsomely.
Guiding the youngsters is Kuna Dash (56), the founder of Chandra Shekhar Academy in Puri, who, in collaboration with Techno India University Kolkata has designed a specialised two-year course that combines the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology’s (NIELIT) "A" Level IT course with Japanese language training. This unique programme, which costs only Rs 60,000 over two years, has already helped several students secure jobs in Japan’s booming IT sector.
The Academy had already been running a school from nursery classes till class 12 in Balighai area since 2004, where students learn all subjects besides Japanese language, free of cost. This is probably the only school in the country to be imparting Japanese as a compulsory subject. However, he began the professional course training at the same academy during Covid19 pandemic. "I felt, to address the unemployment crisis, it is important to add the Japanese language from the early age in the school, so that later on the students would not have to go through the course while doing specialisation," advocates Dash.
As Vikas says, supporting the family as a tile carpenter was difficult but ever since he joined the course and got a job, hard times are over for him. "I cannot but thank Kuna Dash Sir enough for guiding me to take up a Japanese language course along with the NIELIT A Level course and now I have got a job in Japan. He has helped me financially too," said an indebted Vikas.
Dash explained the course curriculum and said, one has to pass the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) test of Japanese language along with the IT course of the Central Government. "Students have to complete their IT training to get a certificate and at the same time they must pass the JLPT. This ensures they are ready to work in Japan," he asserts.
This year, five students from the academy got jobs in IT companies of Japan. After gaining experience, they can shift to other companies. "Learning the language of a developed country gives students an edge over the others," he states.
Dash who has spent years in Japan vouches that one can easily earn a lakh of rupees in Indian currency per month. "The monthly living expenses amount to Rs 50,000 while the rest is up to you to use or send to the family. Once you gain experience, you can return to India and get better jobs and salary," he said. Though Japan is a developed country, there is a huge shortage of human resources. So this is the right time to get trained and move to Japan, just that the language learning is a must, advices Dash.
Another successful student Chanchal Sarkar, a graduate who had never imagined working abroad said, "I only knew about Japan from TV, and never thought that I could get a job there," she recalls. However, after enrolling in the Japanese language and IT course at Chandrasekhar Academy, she landed a job with a major IT company in Japan. "I am so happy that my dream of going to Japan has come true. This course gave me the skills and opportunity I needed."
Similarly, Satyajit Sahu, another student, hailing from a poor background completed the NIELIT "A" Level course along with the N3 level Japanese course, and secured a job in Japan’s IT industry. "I never thought of going beyond the confines of Odisha but look at me, I have got the best of the jobs today," said Satyajit, expressing gratitude for the support of Kuna Dash, who not only provided financial assistance but also guided him through the course.
"This is a win-win situation for both Japan and Odisha. By teaching Japanese language alongside IT, we are opening doors for these students to work in Japan's thriving IT sector," said Dash, content and happy at his initiative's success.
Dash spent over 35 years in Japan and is now focused on providing opportunities for Odia youth. He began helping his father Chandra Sekhar Dash pretty young in their hotel Santana, and saw influx of Japanese tourists to the town around late 1980s and early 1990s. As they stayed at the hotel, Dash got to know the people and their culture and was highly impressed. After his maiden visit to Japan in 1990, Dash was floored by their hospitality and culture. But his second visit in 1993 cemented his love with Japan for a lifetime.
Since then he has been making efforts to bridge the gap between Odisha and Japan by promoting Odisha's culture in Japan and facilitating the participation of Japanese tourists in the Rath Yatra. Besides, Dash set up the India-Japan Friendship Centre, which is dedicated to offering Japanese language courses to Odia students.
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