JET Programme
The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (外国語青年招致事業, Gaikokugo Seinen Shōchi Jigyō), or JET Programme (JETプログラム, Jetto Puroguramu), is a teaching program sponsored by the Japanese government that brings university graduates to Japan as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs), Sports Education Advisors (SEAs) or as Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs) in local governments and boards of education.
Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme | |
| Founded | 1987 |
|---|---|
| Merger of | Monbusho English Fellows Program & British English Teachers Scheme |
| Type | Teaching English as a foreign language |
| Location | |
Membership (2023) | 5,831 |
| Affiliations | Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching (AJET) |
| Website | https://jetprogramme.org/en/ |
JET is one of the world's largest international exchange programmes. Since 1987, more than 77,000 people from 77 countries have participated in JET. As of July 1, 2023, 5,831 participants from 50 countries were employed on the programme.
Holders of Japanese passports may participate in the programme, but must renounce their Japanese citizenship to do so. The focus of the programme as stated on the JET Programme website is "to promote internationalization in Japan's local communities by improving foreign language education and fostering international exchange at the community level." The JET Programme is not looking and/or hiring teachers but rather looking for cultural ambassadors to assist in foreign language education taught by Japanese Teachers of English. About 90% of the participants on the programme are ALTs; the remaining 10% are divided between CIRs and SEAs. The number of alumni totals over 57,000 from 54 different countries.