Japanese staffing group Persol plans to use its $778 million takeover of Programmed Maintenance Services as a springboard to expand into Asia as Japan's workforce shrinks.

The board of Perth-based Programmed, which provides a broad range of staffing, maintenance and facility management services and employs 20,000 people, has backed a proposal from Persol to acquire the group for $3.02 per share in cash via a scheme of arrangement.