Canon to establish regional technical skills training center
— Existing training facilities to aid in supporting employment —

TOKYO, November 27, 2007— Canon Inc. (Headquarters: Ohta-ku, Tokyo; President & COO: Tsuneji Uchida) announced today plans to establish a technical skills training facility in Oita City, Oita Prefecture, with the aim of raising the level and strengthening the technical skills of Canon Group employees while also cultivating and supporting the employment of members of the local community. The company today also announced its intention to make use of existing Canon training facilities in Japan's Kanto region for local-community human-resource development outside of the Canon Group.

The new technical skills training center in Oita City, Oita Prefecture, will be located beside Oita Canon Inc.'s Oita Plant. The new facility will be equipped with such manufacturing equipment as board-mounting equipment, lathes, milling machines, grinding machines for lens processing, plastic-molding machines, and automation-control equipment. In addition to lectures on manufacturing, the training program to be offered at the center will focus on such areas as board mounting, parts processing and practical training utilizing robots. The facility is scheduled to open in April 2009.

The new training center will benefit Canon's two Oita Prefecture-based manufacturing subsidiaries (Oita Canon Inc. and Oita Canon Materials Inc.) by raising and strengthening the companies' manufacturing capabilities. Additionally, by making the facility available to organizations outside of the Canon Group, including companies and schools, Canon aims to support the development of regional human resources in the field of manufacturing. Furthermore, the center is also expected to serve as a training site in support of the Job Card System, a program the Japanese government is considering implementing in April 2008. Acquisition of "job cards" (vocational skills certificates) under the system requires practical training at a company and the completion of education and training outside of that company. By offering education and training at the new facility, Canon aims to contribute to supporting employment for young people and mothers who have finished raising their children.

Artist's conception of Canon Oita Training Center (tentative name)

Canon is also considering using two of the company's existing training facilities, the Manufacturing Training Center (Toride City, Ibaraki Prefecture) and Mizonokuchi HRD Center (Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture), as training sites in support of the Job Card System.

Overview of new Canon training facility