College

[ryguy726]

Hello!
I'm looking for a degree where I would not have to be national. I heard there is a similar thing happening in the trade world like the US (needing more tradies) is this true? Lastly, I've always wanted to become a paramedic is this possible in Japan? Thanks!!!

(If you can I would like to have suggestions to international colleges in Japan)

 

[Ren4ever]

I'm sorry! I want to help, but I know nothing about that!

 

[mdchachi]

I would not have to be national.

Sorry I don't understand what you mean by this. What is "national" in this context?

Regarding paramedics, my understanding is that paramedics in Japan are not highly trained to give emergency medical treatment like they are in the U.S. But I don't really know for sure. In any case, I'm sure it's possible. If you can undergo the training and pass the certifications (which I would guess requires native level language proficiency) then sure, why not? And, of course, you would need permission to work in Japan via a work visa, spouse visa/permanent residency, etc.

 

[Buntaro]

Hello!
I'm looking for a degree where I would not have to be national. I heard there is a similar thing happening in the trade world like the US (needing more tradies) is this true? Lastly, I've always wanted to become a paramedic is this possible in Japan? Thanks!!!

(If you can I would like to have suggestions to international colleges in Japan)

Hi ryguy and welcome to the forum. I am a fully-qualified career counselor at the college level, I have also lived in Japan, so let me ask you some questions and give you some suggestions.

What do you mean by "be national"?

What do you mean by "being a tradie"? Do you want to work as a stock broker, trading stocks at, say, the New York Stock Exchange?

I think it would be extremely difficult for you to get a job as a paramedic in Japan. But there is a large number of US military bases in Japan, and you could get a job as a paramedic on one of these bases. If I remember correctly, if you want to become a paramedic, you have to take an EMT I class, an EMT II class, and a paramedic class (about one year of classes). This should give you the minimum qualifications to work as a paramedic in an ambulance. You may also want to think about becoming a flight paramedic further on down the road (providing emergency patient transportation in an airplane or helicopter). I used to work as an air ambulance pilot and I am familiar with what it takes to become a flight paramedic. What you need to do right now is walk into an ambulance or air ambulance company, talk to the person who hires the paramedics for the company, and ask them what kind of training and experience they like to see in new-hire paramedics. You may also want to contact a military hospital in Japan, or a military recruiter and see what job opportunities they have for paramedics. (I would imagine the military would require experience before they send you to Japan, but I don't know, so you would really need to find out.) You also need to think about if you want to work for the military as a civilian or soldier/sailor/airman (I think both are possible). You also need to check the job market. Are there too many paramedics? Not enough paramedics? (I would imagine there is a shortage.)

You may want to consider getting a four-year degree in the field in the future, as a Registered Nurse specializing in ER care (working with patients in an emergency room) or patient transport (transporting patients in an ambulance, airplane, or helicopter). Are you willing to get a four-year college degree?

I also want to emphasize a mistake that many college students make when choosing a college major. Many college students choose a major, then try to find a career that fits their major. This is a mistake. The right way to do it is to choose a career field first, then choose the major that fits that career field. Many community colleges in America offer free career counseling and career testing, so may want to take advantage of these services.

 

[ryguy726]

Hello! What I mean by national is a citizen. Tradie is things like, hairstylist, welder, things that don't need College.

 

[tomoni]

You can study in Japan regardless of nationality.

As far as being a tradie, – that is studying a trade- as it used to be called, You would probably need to either study something very specialized and get a cultural visa (such as a specialized art/skill) or find a school such as a technical college that teaches the trade that you're interested in.

Most technical colleges or trade colleges, would teach only in Japanese and you would have to have a fairly decent level of Japanese, probably at least to be able to register.

I have never heard of a technical college that has trade or training programs That uses English as the language of instruction.

There are also some training programs where you can train at companies, but these are usually offered in developing nations.

TITP=technical intern training program, 技能実習生Gino jishusei), SSW(I), (ii) 特定技能外国人労働者(Tokukei ginou gaikokujin roudou sha).

 

[tomoni]

SSW = Specified Skilled Workers

 

[mdchachi]

Hello! What I mean by national is a citizen. Tradie is things like, hairstylist, welder, things that don't need College.

That reminds me. I know 25 years ago there was a market for funerary work (embalmers) as I interviewed a foreign national who was in Japan doing embalming on a contract basis. I would guess having the license from your home country would be enough to get the necessary work visa if there was a sponsor in Japan. Probably there is no less of a need now. It could be a stepping stone to other careers such as EMT though I would guess the funerary work would be more profitable.

 

[nice gaijin]

Most colleges in Japan now seem to have the ability to accept foreign students, though the language requirements and the quality of your education will vary based on the program you choose... I'm a big proponent of getting a (hopefully useful) degree in your home country and trying to get some study abroad experience either with a language school or an exchange program, of course because this has worked out well for me (so your mileage may vary). If you intend a to work in Japan as an expat you'll benefit from having a 4-year degree over a vocational cert.

I think if you feel called to that work, you should pursue your medical career, EMT and paramedic is a good step in that direction and level up your general medical knowledge. Something I don't think many people consider is what their regular workday would be like as a [any kind of professional] in Japan, and live and work in an all-Japanese environment. Japan is a beautiful country that you should definitely visit, but I don't know you well enough to say what your expat experience would be like.

Anticipation is like a drug, and builds expectations that can ruin your experience when you finally get over here, so my recommendation is to pursue the things you want individually on their own merits, and then you can find interesting new ways to tie those interests together. If you want to work as a first responder, that's awesome. If you love Japan, come visit or study! If you love the language, pursue fluency and literacy to the highest level you can. If you think you can fully immerse yourself, take the plunge and look for opportunities to live in Japan. By then you won't just think you know what you want, you'll know for sure and you'll already be 3/4 the way there.

That reminds me. I know 25 years ago there was a market for funerary work (embalmers) as I interviewed a foreign national who was in Japan doing embalming on a contract basis. I would guess having the license from your home country would be enough to get the necessary work visa if there was a sponsor in Japan. Probably there is no less of a need now. It could be a stepping stone to other careers such as EMT though I would guess the funerary work would be more profitable.

And the shortage of EMTs has led to a glut of funerary work, proving that we create our own fates I gotta admit, I enjoyed Okuribito more than I expected from the movie description.