Supporting Personal Growth and Skill Development
Training System
Canon's Educational System
To motivate employees and enhance skill specialization, Canon Inc. maintains an educational system for rank-based, elective and self-development training.
Rank-based training enhances knowledge and skills required for carrying out the duties of each paygrade, and fosters awareness of job responsibilities. Furthermore, general employees are also required to take business skills training as a supplement to rank-based training.
Elective training supports employees' acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary for fulfilling their duties, and self-development training provides participants with knowledge and skills for their personal advancement.
These training programs also cover such issues as harassment prevention and compliance in order to develop trustworthy employees.
Canon's Educational System
Supporting Employee Career Development
In recent years, Canon Inc. has worked to develop "strong individuals" and a "strong organization" by focusing on management-level employees through programs that include rank-based management training for all new managers.
The Company is diversifying its training format and content through the active use of various e-learning training programs.
Since 2005, Canon Inc. has also operated an internal career-matching system to support its employees in pursuing satisfying careers. The system aims to match the right people to the right jobs, promote internal mobility of human resources and bring greater vitality to the Company. Under this system, vacant and requested positions are continuously posted, and in-house career consultants conduct interviews that lead to increased awareness of career structuring. In 2011, 26 employees were transferred through this system.
Moreover, Canon has since 2001 conducted an employee career support program known as My Career Course. This course stimulates self-initiative for growth by having each employee reconsider his or her own goals and life plan. Employees from a variety of Canon Group company fields, mostly in their 30s and 40s, attend this course.
This course was held five times in 2011, at both the Mizonokuchi HRD Center in Kanagawa Prefecture and as part of the training camp held at the Fuji-Susono Research Park, in Shizuoka Prefecture.
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transfers using the career-matching system (general employees only) | 61 | 47 | 40 | 17 | 26 |
Cultivating Human Resources at Canon Vietnam
Canon has been seeking to hire locally in every region in which we operate as development of our global operations accelerates. Enabling our local employees to work to their full potential requires us to understand and respect the different environments and cultures of each region, as well as the customs rooted in them, so as to develop the skills and abilities required for each job type.
For example, the basic human resources policy maintained at Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd. is founded on an understanding of the culture and customs of Vietnam, building trust in the company. This calls for thorough provision of career challenges and development as well as fair and just treatment to stimulate awareness on the part of each employee of his or her role as a member of society and of the company.
Moreover, Canon Vietnam establishes a human resource strategy for each job type. For example, the company focuses on the creation of a pleasant work environment for assembly cell workers, as well as offering skill bonuses, recognition through award programs, and training opportunities, which help to nurture the desire for career growth. Additionally, the company offers an extensive training system for management staff that provides specialized instruction related to production, technology, and management, as well as overseas training opportunities, with the aim of developing global human resources with the potential to become local management executives.
Canon Vietnam had more than 22,000 local employees as of the end of 2011, with more than 5,000 in total participating in management training, language training, technical and production training. In addition, nearly 10 technical personnel are dispatched every year for a year of training at Canon Inc.
Furthermore, Canon Vietnam has initiated a Prep School Program for personnel aspiring to gain a college education, providing the opportunity to study while working. Roughly 200 to 300 employees participate in this program annually.
The company also focuses on providing extensive benefits that make its employees enthusiastic about work and make Canon Vietnam a company where local people would like to be employed. The company works hard to create an attractive workplace through various efforts, such as sponsoring a variety of recreational events and by setting up an outdoor cafe on the plant grounds.
Prep School Program
Sports Day
Cultivating Manufacturing Personnel
Canon pursues the sustainable development of global production systems as a manufacturer working in accord with the international community, and therefore seeks to foster human resources armed with superior skills and techniques at each production site. To meet the needs of expanding production, we are putting particular effort into human-resource development at our production sites outside Japan. The Manufacturing Training Center is at the core of this effort, and we continued to shore up our global manufacturing training structure in 2009, with training getting off to a full start in 2010.
Our main strategy in 2011 was the development of key technicians and foremen at each production site, as well as the expansion and improvement of the training provided by onsite instructors. What this means in practice is that we conduct trainer development programs for technical/skill training, management training, and the development of instructors for onsite training , focusing mainly on plant managers and technicians at manufacturing companies in Southeast Asia and China. A total of 986 employees attended these courses.
We have also established the Technical Skills Test Program at production sites with the goal of improving technical skill development. The Manufacturing Training Center has supported the establishment of this program at Canon Opto (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Canon Hi-Tech (Thailand) Ltd. and Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd. The Center will continue providing support at more production sites to enable them to conduct the Skills Test Program.
Manufacturing Training Center training course participants
Holding 1st Canon Robocon Asia Cup
The 1st Canon Robocon Asia Cup was held at Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd. in March 2011.
The goal of the Robocon Asia Cup is the development of young technicians at Canon's Asian production bases. Six teams from five companies- Canon Vietnam, Canon Opto (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Canon Hi-Tech (Thailand) Ltd., Canon Dalian Business Machines, Inc. and Canon (Suzhou) Inc.- entered the competition, with Canon Zhongshan Business Machines Co., Ltd. participating as an observer.
The young technicians tested their microcomputing, programming and other technical skills in races and combat competitions using automated guided vehicles (AGVs). This also provided an opportunity for the participants to exchange ideas and socialize, creating a lively format for technical discussions.
This kind of competition provides an opportunity not only for young technicians to upgrade their skills, but also to strengthen the bonds between fellow companies in Asia.
Competition for the Canon Robocon Asia Cup
Members of the winning team from Canon Hi-Tech (Thailand)
Development of Personnel with a Global Outlook
The globalization of Canon's operations is proceeding, reaching 280 operational sites worldwide as of the end of February 2012. Against this backdrop, one of the main strategies listed in Phase IV of Canon's Excellent Global Corporation Plan is the development of personnel befitting a global company.
To this end, Canon is focusing on management-level employees in cultivating next-generation global leaders. We are also strengthening our training programs for younger employees so they can acquire early on the communications skills and cultural sensitivity that will serve them later on in overseas assignments.
Tokyo Seminars Improve the Level of Management at Group Companies
Since 1980, Canon has invited management-level employees from Group companies around the world to the Tokyo Seminar. In addition to deepening their understanding of Canon and fostering exchanges among the participants, the seminar aims to enhance participants' awareness of their roles as Canon Group members and raise their level of management from a Group perspective. The 46th Tokyo Seminar was held in 2011, with 25 participants. A cumulative total of 1,028 employees have participated in the seminars so far.
Against a backdrop of rapid expansion of business in China, we launched a China version of the Canon Tokyo Seminar in 2009, bringing to Japan assistant directors and senior managers from Group companies in China. The topics of study include Canon's corporate ethics and business strategy, as well as intercultural relations. We conducted these seminars again in 2011, with 21 participants.
We also held a Vietnam version of the Tokyo Seminar in 2010 to train managers from Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd., one of our main production sites.
We plan to continue conducting such seminars in future.
Tokyo Seminar
Developing Next-Generation Management: the CCEDP
Canon launched the Canon Corporate Executive Development Program (CCEDP) in 2001 with the goal of developing the next generation of management with a global perspective.
The CCEDP is an educational program for supporting the acquisition of management knowledge and skills and the creation of a global personnel network among our general manager class in Group companies worldwide. It has been convened five times so far, with a cumulative total of 87 participants.
Internationalization Training for Young Employees
Canon Inc. has established a system for employees to acquire language and international business skills through overseas work experience early in their careers. The Asia Trainee Program, which was launched in 1995, enables recruits who are 30 years old or younger to engage in practical study at local companies in Asia. After receiving five months of language training at university, the employees dispatched as trainees spend about one year gaining practical experience in sales, marketing, services, or production management/technology at an Asian affiliate. Every year about 10 employees participate in this program, with a cumulative total of 59 by the end of 2011. Trainees completing the program are employed at Asian affiliates.
Canon Inc. has also instituted a similar system for technical employees, called the Overseas Study Program for Technicians. The program is intended to develop technicians who can function internationally, as well as enable them to acquire technologies that could become essential to Canon in the future. 70 employees have taken part in the program of overseas study at universities in the US and Europe since it was started in 1984. We increased the number of participants in this program to 11 in 2011, up from two or three in previous years, in line with the ongoing enhancement of our R&D structures in the US and Europe. From 2012 onward we plan to select 10 personnel for overseas study each year.
Recognition and Award Programs
Canon has established recognition and award programs to honor employees for their outstanding achievements.
For example, the Canon President Award of the Year honors Canon Group companies, departments, groups and individual employees who have made a major contribution to the development of the company in terms of its activities or products.
Other awards include the Invention Award for contributions to inventions and intellectual property, Member of the Canon Academy of Technology designation for engineers with outstanding skills, Quality Award for contributions to quality improvement, Production Innovation Award for outstanding activities leading to production-related innovations, the Knowledge and Technology Award for development and introduction of techniques and devices that contribute to innovation, and the Canon Master Craftsman and Canon Expert (Multi-Skilled Worker) Systems for specialties that contribute to superior production.
Expert (Multi-Skilled Worker) certification ceremony
| Canon President Award of the Year | 2 (Special awards), 5 (products),1 (activity) |
|---|---|
| Invention Award | 36 (326 award winners) |
| Member of the Canon Academy of Technology | No new appointments during the year |
| Quality Award | 1 Excellent President's Award, 3 President's Awards, 4 President's Incentive Awards |
| Production Innovation Award | 4 Production Innovation Superiority Awards (President's Awards), 4 runners-up (Division Head's Awards including 3 Notable Awards) |
| Knowledge and Technology Award | 2 Grand prizes (President's Awards), 7 runners-up (Division Head's Awards) |
| Canon Master Craftsman | 2 Awards (cumulative total of 47 Awards) |
| Canon Expert | 5 Grade S Awards, 18 Grade 1 Awards (cumulative totals of 58 Grade S Awards and 224 Grade 1 Awards) |
