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 business activities, 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
Komatsu Brazil International Ltda. (KBI) has partnered with two vocational training institutions—SENAI and Sophie Link Kolping Brasil—to implement the Komatsu Immersion Program (KIP), a vocational training initiative focused on mining machinery maintenance (mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and welding).
This three-month program was initially launched in a northern Brazilian state and has since expanded to one southern state, currently operating in two regions to support people in underdeveloped communities. To date, 478 participants have successfully completed the program, and approximately 60% have been employed by Komatsu. Notably, 30% of those employed are women, contributing to greater gender diversity in the mining industry.
This program is designed to equip participants with the skills needed to succeed in a broad and competitive job market. Through this initiative, Komatsu Brazil International (KBI) not only secures a workforce of highly skilled technicians but also provides valuable opportunities for individuals in local communities, contributing to long-term community development.
In February 2024, Komatsu Parts Asia Co., Ltd. (KPAC) invited over 100 students from three nearby technical institutions—King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Burapha University, and Eastern College of Technology—to the Asia Training & Demonstration Center (ATDC) under the theme “Empowering the Future Through Education and Community.”
Through presentations on Komatsu’s sustainability initiatives, demonstrations of construction and mining machinery, and guided facility tours, the students gained a deeper understanding of our business. Additionally, we set up three learning stations where participants could experience Komatsu’s technologies and products firsthand, further enhancing their understanding of our operations.
KPAC hope to foster a deeper connection between education, community empowerment.
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 |