Japan is in dire need of nurses and caregivers to provide care for their aging population. Millions of old aged Japanese seek care in the caregiver homes and facilities in Japan. Unfortunately, with the lack of caregivers available in the work force of Japan, millions of people are not receiving the proper support and care that they need. Japan has sought to resolve this problem by partnering with neighboring countries to bring nurses and caregivers to Japan under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreements, or JPEPA. However, only less than 10% of the nurses and caregivers the Philippines provided have passed. The ones who didn’t pass were sent back to the Philippines.

 

The J-Care Scholarship Program is a joint project between Y. Suzuki Nihongo Learning Center (YSNLC) and MATE Japanese Institute (MATEJI) which aims to provide another opportunity for returning nurses and caregivers from the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement, or JPEPA, Program to go back to Japan for one year to study Japanese and pass the caregiver licensure exam. In the J-Care Scholarship Program, YSNLC and MATEJI, aims to help solve the to the lack of caregivers issue in Japan by providing another opportunity to returning nurses and caregivers from the JPEPA Program.

 

For those nurses and caregivers who were sent back after their 3-year stay in Japan and want another opportunity to re-take the exam, YSNLC and MATEJI are offering assistance to the 1-year scholarship program in Japan. 

 

Students who wish to take this program are required to undergo language and cultural studies at YSNLC 3-4 months and must submit the required documents to be used in applying for a student visa. If there is no issue with the students’ documents, the student visa shall be issued in approximately 4 months by the Japan immigration. Once received, the student will fly to Japan before their schooling starts in MATEJI. 

 

While in Japan, students are required to attend every class session without any absences or tardiness and will be allowed to work for 28 hours a week in the accredited caregiver homes facilities of MATEJI.