Sayaka Kankolongo Watanabe

WELgee is a non-profit organisation that builds the future together with young refugees. In its career programme, JobCopass, it discovers refugees’ individual talents and legally acquires a more stable visa for them with private companies. 

The challenges facing refugees in Japan are fraught with difficulties and subtleties stemming from social incomprehension and the legal system. JobCopass is creating a new pathway by focusing on the expertise, skills and passion of each individual. They work with companies to connect refugees to employment opportunities that will enable them to obtain a stable legal status – rather than being stuck in the existing framework of refugee status, where only the government has the right to make decisions. 

So far, their projects have resulted in 19 hires, two interns and five cases of change in residency status at an IT venture company and a new business development division of a major machinery manufacturer. JobCopass will continue to promote outreach to the private sector. They also aim to increase the number of career coordinators and are preparing to raise funds for this purpose.