When we asked ourselves:"What sort of social contribution activities would meet the needs of regional communities and make the best use of Komatsu's strengths?" We arrived at the answer: "developing people." We are working in cooperation with several entities such as national and local governments as well as schools, to carry out human resource development programs that are tailored to each region's needs and enable participants to acquire skills that will open up various employment opportunities.
Using the skills and know-how cultivated through our core business, Komatsu supports the development of human resources that are needed not only within our company, but also in local communities.
Expectations for human resource development can vary greatly from community to community. At Komatsu, as we do business on a global scale, we make efforts to understand what each community needs and work on providing that support accordingly in various areas and in different forms.
The pyramid graph below shows the areas in which Komatsu is supporting human resource development. It also shows that the closer you get to the top of the pyramid, the more closely linked the program is with Komatsu businesses. The base of the pyramid shows our active support of activities such as science classes in elementary schools, mainly in different parts of Japan, USA and Europe. The next level up is to provide basic education, which consists of our support towards people who cannot or were not able to receive the level of education necessary to find employment, due to circumstances specific to their country or region. We currently run such programs in Chile and South Africa. At the next level, we support universities and vocational training schools in many regions by providing Komatsu's curriculum and equipment, as well as instructors. At the top of the pyramid, we are working with national and local governments and with our customers to develop human resources, particularly in regions where human resource development is a social challenge.
The actual content of the support includes dispatching instructors and trainers; providing educational materials, equipment and facilities; accepting apprentices; and various other means utilizing the full potential of our know-how.
Dispatching instructors
Providing educational materials and equipment
Providing facilities and supporting operations
Accepting apprentices
At many universities in the Philippines, practical training experience with private companies is a mandatory requirement for graduation from the engineering faculty. To meet the need for accepting trainees from those universities and to secure excellent talent for Komatsu Philippines Corporation (KPC), KPC has developed the Student Traineeship Program (STP).
KPC is an important hub to train "Global Engineers" who are involved in product support at operational sites worldwide. Since 2011, a total of 216 university students have participated in the STP at KPC, with 38 of them joining KPC after graduation. The students selected from each university to participate in the STP are generally highly motivated. On the final day of the approximately 260-hour training period, they deliver highly specialized presentations on the structure and functions of construction and mining equipment.
Many of the 16 students (mainly junior students) who participated in the STP in FY2023 have expressed their intention to join KPC in 2025. Through the STP, Komatsu will continue to contribute to the development of local human resources.
Chattanooga Manufacturing Operation (CMO) and Chattanooga State College's Polytech partnered to create the area's first state-certified pre-apprenticeship program, which coexists with conventional classes. Under this program, participants develop valuable skills under the guidance of seasoned technicians and earn income by working 4 hours a day, 5 days a week.
The course covers safety and health hazards in different industries, workers' rights and employers' obligations. The rigorous requirements ensure that participants are well-prepared for the demands of the manufacturing industry.
What makes this program truly special is its long-term outlook. Graduates of this program are eligible to kickstart their careers through full-time apprenticeships in industrial maintenance or welding at Chattanooga State after they graduate from high school. This seamless transition from pre-apprenticeship to apprenticeship gives students a clear path to pursuing a career in the manufacturing industry.
The program addresses the immediate talent needs of local businesses while laying the foundations for long-term economic growth. Moreover, it offers young adults the unique opportunity to learn from experienced professionals in a structured and supportive environment.
By bridging the gap between education and industry, it is not only shaping a skilled workforce but also empowering a new generation of workers to thrive in the manufacturing sector. Through CMO's visionary commitment to local talent, they are contributing to the economic prosperity of the region while inspiring young minds to reach new heights.
We believe that collaborative CSR activities deliver more effective outcomes than those conducted alone, by sharing the people, know-how, and other resources of each company. In promoting social contribution activities in the past, Komatsu has collaborated with entities such as non-profit organizations that have their own unique know-how. In 2016, we agreed with our business partner, Cummins Inc. in the U.S., to collaborate in the field of local human resource development.
Komatsu and Cummins Inc., a major engine manufacturer in the U.S., have built a strong relationship of trust over the years as partners in the engine business. Both companies have already expended much energy into supporting human resource development in local communities as part of social contribution activities, and have already collaborated in several areas. One of the main programs is Technical Education for Communities (TEC). Both companies have partnered through contract to utilize their pool of resources and best practices, to expand the support of human resource development globally.
| Corporate name |
Cummins Inc. |
|---|---|
| Established |
1919 |
| Headquarters |
Columbus, Indiana, U.S. |
| Business segments |
Engine, Power systems, Components, Distribution |
| URL |