Even after reaching the senior stage of life, taking on new challenges is truly wonderful.
By obtaining certifications, you can make use of your hobbies and skills, deepen your connections with society, and even earn income.
In recent years, qualifications related to health, welfare, and hobbies have become popular, with a wide range available—from programs you can study at home to hands-on options.
Here, we introduce certifications recommended for older adults and the senior generation.
Why not enrich your daily life through new learning?
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- [For Seniors] Have Fun Making Things Based on Today’s Mood! Today’s Recommended Craft
- [For Seniors] Uplifting Words That Comfort the Heart
- Seniors will love it! A roundup of popular events
- [For Seniors] Recommended for older adults: enjoyable recreational activities
- Fun, engaging topics for conversations with older adults!
- Gift ideas for seniors: presents for parents, grandparents, and friends.
- [For Seniors] Add Enjoyment to Everyday Life: A Compilation of Activity Care Plans
- [For Seniors] Simple and Fun: Craft Ideas You Can Make with Everyday Items
- [For Seniors] Simple Handicrafts Recommended for Finger Exercise
- [For Seniors] Fun and Informative! Trivia and Quizzes Introduced
- [For Seniors] Get Started Easily: Simple Handicraft Kit Ideas
Recommended qualifications for the elderly. Senior generation (1–10)
DIY Advisor
When people think of DIY, they often picture making things, but it also encompasses a wide range of activities that improve comfort in daily life, such as home repairs and upgrades.
How about using the DIY Advisor qualification—which provides specialized knowledge about DIY—not only to advise others, but also to reflect on your own projects? By gaining knowledge that covers not only making things but also safety and legal regulations, you can aim for more advanced DIY.
And if you become capable of advising others on their DIY, it could lead to broader communication as well.
Career Consultant
People who have experienced various industries throughout their lives probably have moments when they feel they want to put that experience to use for others.
How about aiming for a path as a career consultant, which could allow you to leverage your life experiences? There is no age limit for the exam, and the qualification can be useful in corporate HR, education, and public employment services like Hello Work.
If you reinforce your own experience with specialized knowledge, you should be able to respond appropriately to consultations.
Financial Planner
A financial planner is a professional qualification for providing advice about money, and it seems particularly in demand amid the current surge of interest in investing.
Rather than only offering advice to others, pursuing this certification could also be a great opportunity to think about your own finances.
People of every generation have money-related concerns, but as a senior, you may be especially well equipped to address the financial worries of your peers.
Another appealing aspect of this qualification is that you can leverage it not only within a company but also by working independently.
Condominium Management Consultant
When you think of condominiums, you probably picture someone managing them—sometimes a superintendent on-site, other times a connection with a management company—there are various forms.
The Condominium Management Consultant (Mansion Kanrishi) is a qualification for managing condominiums, and since there’s no age restriction, it’s recommended for seniors as well.
Its exam covers almost the same subjects as the Building Management Administrator (Kanri Gyomu Shuninsha), but the Condominium Management Consultant requires more specialized knowledge specifically about condominiums.
Learning how condominiums are operated can also be useful in understanding what to watch out for when you live in one.
Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant
Japan is a nation with many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and many people have experience working for them.
Why not aim to obtain the Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant qualification, which can help improve these SMEs that support Japan? The wide range of knowledge you gain—from business strategy onward—can be used to advise companies and will also be useful if you start your own business.
It also seems like being a senior can be an advantage when it comes to strategy that leverages your accumulated professional experience.
Certified Care Worker
As we enter our senior years, we tend to imagine ourselves more on the receiving end of care, and the idea of being the one to provide it can fade.
Even so, seniors can obtain certification as certified care workers, and the strengths unique to that generation can be a real asset.
Communication that comes from being closer in age to the users and the ability to respond drawing on a lifetime of experience may become significant advantages.
However, because the work does involve some physical demands, aim for certification while also considering the extent of what you can realistically handle.
Hazardous Materials Handler
The Hazardous Materials Handler, often cited as a relatively accessible qualification, has no age restrictions, so even seniors can obtain it.
It is divided into several categories, and what you are allowed to handle differs accordingly, so decide what you want to work with before taking the exam.
It also teaches you what kinds of substances carry what kinds of risks, and it seems likely to be useful as a credential when seeking reemployment.
Aiming for the Type A (Ko-shu), which has eligibility requirements, to acquire deeper knowledge is also recommended.