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ISHIKAWA CONSTRUCTION CO.,LTD
Hone your skills with a view to playing an active role in Vietnam in the future！
Corporate information
Business Category: Construction
Location: Ota City (7 domestic branches with an office in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam)
Number of Employees: 236, out of which 9 are non-Japanese personnel
Status of Residence: 3 with “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” status; 6 members posted in Ho Chi Minh
Nationalities: Vietnam, China
Occupational Categories: Design, public relations
URL:https://www.ishikawa-inc.co.jp/
Tell us about the nature of the duties involved and your experience in taking in non-Japanese personnel.
As a general building contractor, we provide a wide range of services for the likes of medical and welfare facilities, educational facilities, commercial facilities and civil engineering infrastructure such as roads and rivers, from design and construction to post-completion maintenance.
In our aim to develop our business in Vietnam, we have been taking in non-Japanese human resources for ten years now, and have experience in recruiting individuals with Vietnamese and Chinese nationality. Currently, we have nine non-Japanese personnel members working at our office in Japan, our Ho Chi Minh representative office (opened in 2016) and our local corporation Ishikawa Vietnam (established in 2018).
Tell us about the occupational categories in which your non-Japanese personnel are active and the state of their activities.
In Japan, our non-Japanese employees are engaged in public relations/reception, design and BIM(＊) duties. At our Ho Chi Ming representative office and at Ishikawa Vietnam, they are in charge of BIM-based design for building projects in Japan.
Our non-Japanese staff include members who are involved in building structure design and supervision on the design side of operations. Some of them are also certified First Class Building Operation and Management Engineers who serve in managerial positions.
Additionally, in the area of BIM operations, our non-Japanese staff also do their part to improve customer satisfaction with their ability to use BIM to conceive post-completion images of buildings at the design stage. Because of their advanced BIM skills, we ask them to provide instruction to our Japanese staff members.
（＊）BIM (Building Information Modeling) is a design method that consists of using specialized 3D CAD to create models, or virtual buildings, within a computer. This method helps anyone with involvement in a building project grasp the post-completion image of the building with greater ease.
Building image prepared using BIM
Tell us about the state of education and assistance that you offer to your non-Japanese personnel.
In order to have our non-Japanese staff elevate their Japanese ability to a level required to communicate, we grant them opportunities to attend Japanese language school at the company’s expense, administer new employee training over a two-month period, and hold workshops in each department to have more-experienced personnel members impart business expertise and knowledge at least once a month to help non-Japanese employees hone their skills.
Additionally, we have introduced a “mentor system” in which employees with more experience than their younger brethren in the same department provide one-on-one instruction to new employees over a five-year period after the latter has entered the company. This system makes it possible for employees to ask for advice on work or living issues any time.
We also place focus on our “communication gathering system” through which the company provides subsidies to employees who gather together to hold exchange events as well as on efforts to enhance communication among employees through the holding of numerous company events and other means.
Tell us what kind of skills you look for in your non-Japanese personnel.
We look for employees who possess a high level of design expertise. Additionally, because we place the highest priority on internal communication to ensure smooth work performance, we seek individuals who possess at least the minimum level of Japanese language ability needed to communicate with others as well as the will to proactively communicate with others of their own accord.
VOICE
Comments by Non-Japanese Staff【Mai Thi Phuong（From Vietnam）】
I am responsible for reception duties as well as information-gathering duties that pertains to the preparation of our company newsletter that features event and other information. While it can be hard to understand specialized terms and the like, I feel satisfaction in eliciting joy from customers by handling those duties properly.
Our company offers a mentor system that enables you to ask for advice when you run into living or work trouble as well as a plethora of company events. These and other elements make for an environment that facilitates communication and gives you peace of mind as you go about your work.
I have been living in Gunma Prefecture since I was in college. The environment here is rich in nature and easy to live in. Plus, there is no shortage of famous tourist sites that can be accessed with ease, the hot springs resorts in Kusatsu being an example. On weekends, I enjoy heading to those spots or watching sports or movies.
In the future, I hope to further refine my Japanese skills and become a professional who serves as a bridge between Japanese and Vietnamese businesses.
Japan boasts superior technology, facilities and surroundings, and offers plenty of learning opportunities. However, to work here, Japanese language ability is of the essence. If you are looking into working in Japan, I recommend that you focus on studying the language prior to coming here.
Comments by Non-Japanese Staff【Phan Huu Thiet（From Vietnam）】
I prepare 3D drawings of buildings using BIM and provide technical assistance for construction sites.
Using my skills in BIM, which is my forte, I supply post-completion images of buildings before they are constructed. I feel considerably satisfied when our customers are pleased with my efforts.
Numerous company events such as employee trips and barbeques are held, and an environment that makes it easy for us to communicate with other employees is in place. Plus, more experienced employees provided careful guidance on work duties and the Japanese language, which allowed me to settle into this company right away.
Furthermore, I have been able to deepen my knowledge on operations through opportunities such as the regularly-held workshops for young employees.
Going forward, I want to work towards further enhancing my skills and eventually play a role at our local corporation in Vietnam.
In Ota City where I reside, there is a shopping mall and other facilities nearby, making it an easy place to live in. On weekends, I indulge in my soccer hobby by playing together with my friends or going to see games played by the local professional soccer team.
Japan is a great place to learn many things and to grow. If you are looking into working in Japan, I wholeheartedly recommend that you do so.
Comments by Representative【CEO Ishikawa Masayuki】
From encouraging non-Japanese employees to attend Japanese language school so that they do not run into issues with internal communication to offering a “mentor system” to help quell their anxieties about living in a foreign country, this company places focus on establishing an environment that we can work in with peace of mind.
Here, we hope that you will hone your skills and eventually go on to become a professional that leverages those skills to play an active role in your home country.
