Human Resource Development
SEI University
SEI University represents the Sumitomo Electric Group’s comprehensive training and education system.
To realize a "Glorious Excellent Company," it is essential that each and every employee deeply understands the Sumitomo Spirit and the Sumitomo Electric Group Corporate Principles and improves his or her own capacity. In support of such efforts, the entire Sumitomo Electric Group is developing various training programs in the Sumitomo Electric University to raise the human resource value of employees.
Fundamental Principles of Sumitomo Electric University: All-Employee Education
Sumitomo Electric needs personnel who honor the Sumitomo Spirit, understand the Sumitomo Electric Group Corporate Principles, possess high levels of skill and knowledge rooted firmly in the basics, and who can play active roles in the global community. To develop such personnel, Sumitomo Electric University has established its fundamental principles so as to provide a venue for:
- (1)
- disseminating the Sumitomo Electric Group's corporate philosophy;
- (2)
- sharing the Sumitomo Electric Group's management strategies and vision; and
- (3)
- developing employees' abilities, skills and knowledge so that they may play active roles in the global community.
Basic Concepts of Human Resource Development
Our basic concept for human resource development consists of the "individual employee's strong motivation for self-development" and "on-the-job coaching and close communication between superiors and subordinates." We support this kind of coaching and communication through our "management-by-objectives (MBO) system" and closely link the system with training, employee performance evaluations, and personnel rotation. Thus, we will improve the human resource value of each individual through achievement of our corporate goals. Specialty training in each division and Group-wide training provided by the Corporate Staff Group are the two pivotal components of training and strongly support “self-development activities” and “coaching and close communication between superiors and subordinates.” The two kinds of training also aim to realize human resource development in line with our corporate philosophy and management strategies.
Principal Training Programs
At the SEI University, we provide various training programs for a wide range of positions from executives to newly hired employees. Group-wide training includes position-based (compulsory) training for the employees in specific positions or involved in specific operations as well as optional training available for applicants depending on their operational needs. Training is also provided to teach necessary skills and knowledge in each division, including daily OJT (on-the-job training) centering on target management.
In particular, the following five subjects constitute the compulsory basic training, which is provided for all employees through video lectures and as part of various training programs:
- (1) Sumitomo Spirit, Corporate Principles, and CSR
- (2) Management policies and visions
- (3) Compliance
- (4) Safety, environment and quality
- (5) Diversity
We also organize various training programs to develop the human resources that can play active roles in the global community. These programs include: the Global Leadership Program, a joint training program for executives of overseas Group companies and Japanese administrative managers of Sumitomo Electric; Sumitomo Electric Group Management Program based on the Sumitomo Spirit (MPSS) that we have launched to disseminate the Sumitomo Spirit among management personnel of overseas affiliates and improve their skills to manage their subordinates in the United States , Europe, Southeast Asia; local Monozukuri key person development programs in China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the United States and other countries; and the International Business Person Development Course for employees who are to be assigned abroad.
Overseas Training Programs (Developing Global Leaders)
Leaders who want to be successful on the global stage need to gain not only a high level of professional competence, but also the characteristics that form the foundation of that. While experience and ability are important, leaders are also required to strive to be good persons. In line with this view, and with the aim of nurturing global leaders who can embody the Sumitomo Spirit, we are proactive in providing training in manufacturing and leadership not only in Japan but in various other parts of the world.
Action Learning
A hands-on program that involves teamwork to tackle actual management issues
Targeting Sumitomo Electric Group executive officers and division heads, this practical program brings five or six managers from different departments together as a team to spend several months working on an important and timely management-related theme, with the ultimate goal of putting together a solution and presenting it to the Board of Directors. Since fiscal 2010, the program has come to see participants from abroad as well, most of whom are graduates of the Global Leadership Development Program.
Useful proposals produced through the Action Learning program have already been applied to actual management and realized.
Global Leadership Development Program (GLP)
A program that brings Group company General managers together in Japan
This is an annual leadership development program for which managers from various countries and various Group companies are invited to Japan. Together with Japanese managerial candidates, the participants learn about the Sumitomo Electric Group Corporate Principles and the Sumitomo Spirit, discuss business issues the Sumitomo Electric Group is facing, and give presentations in front of the Sumitomo Electric CEO and senior managers.
SEG Management Program based on the Sumitomo Spirit (MPSS)
A management program for managers
The goal of this program, which is aimed at core management personnel from overseas subsidiaries, is to share the Sumitomo Business Spirit and enhance skills for managing subordinates. Launched in 2012, it has so far been held in Europe, North America, China (eastern and southern regions), Southeast Asia, and Mexico. By delivering this program, we are working to ensure that the Group’s fundamental principles are shared even amid a rapidly globalizing world.
Cultivation of Manufacturing Personnel and “G-katsu” (Group-wide Kaizen Activities)
Training programs to enhance manufacturing skills of the Sumitomo Electric Group are provided mostly at the Technical Training Center, which was opened in our Itami Works in October 2008. The basic concept of the Center is that participants learn different subjects ranging from basic manufacturing to up-to-date technologies and skills, working with actual machines and products and using principles and their five senses. The Technical Training Center offers training curriculums on original expertise, control techniques, equipment, maintenance, and safety, all of which are essential for manufacturing. While it is said that the competitiveness of the Japanese manufacturing industry is based on Kaizen, or continuous improvement, a manufacturing company’s factories and industrial sites represent its treasure houses, and the accumulation of steady efforts in the sites brings profit to the company. At Sumitomo Electric, we conduct our Kaizen activities (called “G-katsu”) at each workplace on a global group-wide scale to make improvements in the SEQCDD (Safety, Environment, Quality, Cost, Delivery and Research & Development) aspects. The subjects are wide ranging, such as routinization of complex manual tasks, stock reduction of parts and components, prevention of intrusion of unrelated materials, reuse of raw materials, creation of foolproof methods and thorough implementation of standard operations . On these subjects, employees quantify management items and standardize their tasks, thereby repeating the process of “decide-do-correct-redo,” with ingenious ideas for firmly establishing their control systems. Members at workplaces are successfully improving their teamwork with a sense of achievement and satisfaction achieved through activities with everyone’s participation decided after discussions between them.
Excellent cases of these activities are reported in the Sumitomo Electric Group "G-katsu" Presentations, an annual event relayed to Osaka, Itami and Yokohama via teleconferencing, to share the information. Some 300 persons attend the event, including the President, directors, managers and industrial site personnel. While commending the excellent cases, we also aim to further promote the Kaizen activities through the event. Similar G-katsu events are also held in China and Southeast Asia (Indonesia and Malaysia). We plan to organize a global event in anticipation of the synergetic effect of integration in the future.
