Sunday, January 18, 2009

Eco Certification Exams (Tokyo)

Has anyone heard about an eco certification exam? I caught just a quick blurb about it on NHK back in December (2008.12.21), but mis-placed my notes over the holidays. I guess it's not that new, because an English learner's diary mentioned it over a year ago (Haruiro, 日々英語ーDiary in English, Eco Test, 2007.12.16).

The link to the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) site from Haruiro's post is still active (検定試験情報: eco検定試験 [kenteishikenjouhou: ecokenteishiken - information about certification exams: the eco certification exam]). The TCCI page calls it the Certification Test for Environmental Specialists, the Eco Test for short, and indicates that the fifth administration of the test took place on the same date as the NHK broadcast. Though the site doesn't show administration dates for 2009 yet (last updated 2009.01.09), I guess the next test will be in June or July.

Certification is one aspect of employment candidates' dossiers that potential employers examine, even for students coming or returning to Japan from abroad (Nippon Foundation Library, 2003, 外国人・帰国生徒のための進路説明会資料 [gaikokujinkikoku seito no tame no shinro setusmeikai shirou - materials for non-Japanese and returning Japanese students' course (of study) briefings], Structure of the Educational System in Japan). I wonder whether any of you have considered going for certifications such as the Eco Test, in addition to exams such as English language tests that you can take closer to home.

If you have, please feel free to share your thoughts about certifications for future jobs in comments on this post, or in posts linking back to this one from your own blogs.

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