Training and Education

KPI

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Item FY 2017 results FY 2018 results
Total number of training participants per year (Non-consolidated) Regardless of gender,
1,052 total participants (managerial positions)
441 participants (technical positions) 		(Non-consolidated) Regardless of gender,
1,406 total participants (managerial positions)
447 participants (technical positions)
Global HR Department

Why is “Human Resource Development through Training and Education” a critical issue to be addressed?
Explanation of the reason and background

Based on the idea that having each individual employee work to achieve personal growth by making effective use of opportunities for self-cultivation will in turn lead to our company’s growth, we are providing the comprehensive support needed to realize this goal. We recognize that the assignment of professional human resources that have a strong desire to achieve and a broad range of perspectives, and who are capable of performing to their fullest while having an influence around them, is required at our business locations, which are expanding on a global scale, and we also recognize the need to implement new measures, including the putting in place of an effective education and training system, as an important means for achieving this objective.

Vision (attainment goal) / target

We will aim to develop the sentiment, capabilities, and skills required for global business deployment and individual skills that include leadership for each management level, the ability to solve problems while working closely with the field, presentation skills, and negotiation skills, while implementing genba, genbutsu, and genjitsu principle-based education in which employees learn from sensation and experience.

Measures for vision achievement

The following measures will be implemented to achieve our vision.

New human resources system GLOBAL (development of core human resources)

Our Human Resources System, which was adopted in 2010, is focused on personnel training to cultivate employees who are able to perform on a global stage. For example, we have set up eight hierarchies from new entry level to divisional General Manager; each threshold must be cleared in order to go up to the next level. The threshold comprises performance evaluation, work experience (total number of work rotations), compulsory training, and language skills; in this way, relevant personnel can acquire necessary skills as a candidate so he/she can perform on the global stage by clearing each threshold one-by-one.

Use of re-employment employees aged 60 or above

Operations were commenced by Yokohama Business Association Corporation (YBAC), which was established in July 2013 as a staffing company specializing in re-employment employees.

Personnel Training Program

  1. Fresh Graduates
    1. Overseas training program
      Starting from fiscal 2009, we have been providing training for all of our new graduate hires on the management career track in our overseas production bases for about one month in order to have them enhance their sensibility towards different cultures and make them more comfortable with different cultures by having first-hand experience that not everything is different as there are some universal things, through hands-on experience of diversified culture while they are young.
    2. Brother System
      This system has been around for as long as 25 years already; initially it started as a system to give one-on-one training by senior employees to nurture young engineers; now it has also been extended to cover all new graduate hires in administrative positions (main career track).
  2. Advanced Specialists and Skills Meister System
    We are certifying those of our personnel who have made a significant contribution and those whose skills are needed to strengthen our business as “Advanced Specialists” with a top level of specialization in a specific technology area, so that they can focus their activities on technology. In addition, from fiscal 2015, the “CIA Program” was launched as a framework for young employees who will become specialists in the future to help them to devote themselves to research as a form of R&D certification.
    Also, we are certifying as “Technical Meisters” those of our personnel in technical fields who are able to train juniors by utilizing their specialized skills and knowledge, in order to pass on our technology to the new generation.
  3. Education for Company Expatriates and their Family Members
    Amid the global expansion of our businesses, the number of company personnel assigned to work overseas is rising every year. Since fiscal 2009, we have provided overseas pre-relocation seminars for all employees going overseas. The seminars consist of information on how to proceed with work operations in different cultures, any necessary formalities, safety lectures specific to the destination region (necessary knowledge regarding the state of public order and ensuring safety), medical training, legal and compliance training, accounting and internal controls training, language training, and information on schooling for dependent family members.
  4. Incentive to Obtain Official Certifications
    We have an incentive system to encourage our employees to obtain official certifications which are advanced levels which may not be easy to obtain, but which are essential for our company growth; the company is thereby trying to encourage our personnel to obtain as many of these certifications as possible.
  5. Qualified Employee Allowance
    As a company, an allowance is provided to employees registered as qualified employees who maintain the official qualifications required for plant operations.
  6. Foreign Language Subsidy
    To encourage improvements in foreign language abilities, a foreign language subsidy has been provided to those employees who have achieved at least intermediate level in a language other than their native tongue.
The following results were achieved for the measures implemented in fiscal 2017.

Use of re-employment employees aged 60 or above

As of the end of December 2018, there were 492 re-employment employees enrolled, including both partner employees directly employed by Yokohama Rubber and Yokohama Business Association Corporation (YBAC) employees. In fiscal 2018, 96% of employees reaching retirement age continued working using the re-employment system. Efforts will be made to develop successors and pass on skills while utilizing the experience and advanced skills of these employees.

Personnel Training Program

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Name of training program Number of participants
Men Women Total
New employee training 27 13 40
New employee follow-up training 35 14 49
Newly appointed key position training 19 0 19
Newly appointed organization management position training 9 0 9
Evaluator training 294 2 296
Training prior to re-employment 13 2 15

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Education and training expenses 180 million yen
Total number of training participants per year (managerial positions) 1,406 employees
  • Regardless of gender, the total number of training participants per year for technical workers was 447

<System users and number of applicable employees for each program>

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  • As of December 2018
1 New employees 1.1 Overseas training program 40 employees
Total of 474 up until now
1.2 Brother System 40 employees
2 Advanced Specialists and Skills Meister System Advanced Specialists 24 employees
Skills Meister System 45 employees
3 Education for Company Expatriates and their Family Members 35 employees
4 Incentive to Obtain Official Certifications 10 employees
5 Qualified Employee Allowance 127 employees
6 Qualified Employee Allowance 505 employees

<Number of employees that obtained official certifications>

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Certification Number of Achievement Cases
FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018
Radiation Protection Supervisor 1 - 1 - 1
Certified Measurer - - - 1 1
Special Boiler Expert - 1 - 4 -
Qualified Energy Manager 2 - 1 2 2
Class-1 Health Supervisor 11 13 10 6 2
Industrial Hygiene Health Officer - 1 1 - 1
High Pressure Gas Production Safety Manager 2 2 1 2 -
Class-1 Boiler Expert - 3 2 - 2
Operations chief of radiography with X-rays - 2 2 1 -
Class-3 Electrical Chief Engineer - 1 1 - -
Manager in Charge of Pollution Control - 4 1 2 1
Work Management Measurement Expert 1 - - - -
In employee cultivation at Group companies in Japan and overseas, we will continually improve development structures for cultivating the mindset, capabilities, and skills needed to support the implementation of our business activities, developing programs for the development of young employees and also for creating high-performance human resources.