Jamaica and the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme
Jamaica and the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme
Jamaica joined the programme in 2000, and since then more than eighty-five Jamaican teachers have participated in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme (JET). JETs have worked as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) in primary and junior high schools in various regions of Japan. Many Jamaican JETs find the programme highly rewarding and opt to re-contract for additional years.
The qualifications for the JET programme include: at least a first degree; an overall interest in Japan and its culture, as well as in teaching foreign languages; good written and oral English skills; and good physical and mental health. In addition, applicants should be under 40 years of age and should not have participated in the programme before.
The Programme is administered by local authorities in Japan, in collaboration with Japan’s Ministries of Home Affairs, Education and Foreign Affairs, as well as with the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR).
Recruitment and selection is conducted by the Japanese Embassy in Kingston, in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica. Successful candidates undergo training sessions and pre-departure orientation at the Japanese Embassy in Kingston, while a post-arrival orientation is conducted in Tokyo by CLAIR, with the cooperation of the Embassy of Jamaica in Japan. New Jamaican JET recruits usually arrive each year in Japan in late July.
JET Programme - www.jetprogramme.org
Embassy of Japan, Kingston - www.jamaica.emb-japan.go.jp
CLAIR - www.clair.or.jp
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan - www.mofa.go.jp