Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. (headquartered in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, with Fumikiyo Uchioke as President) started training 73 new employees who joined the company in April 2008 for career-track positions. To help them become globally minded employees, the in-plant training has been conducted at our overseas group companies since May 10.

Our group is developing and producing our primary products, wiring harnesses for automobiles, in 29 overseas countries. Ninety percent of the products are now produced overseas and we must develop employees with international mindsets under this global business operation.

The purpose of this overseas training is to help them, at the very beginning of their careers, obtain a sense of thinking from a global viewpoint. The training does this by encouraging them to experience different cultures first hand, including overseas manners and customs. The training also aims to help them learn wiring harness manufacturing in the field.

The training started on May 10 and will continue for approximately two weeks, until May 25. The new employees have been divided into five groups to practice wiring-harness assembly operations and learn improvements in the operations at our five group companies in China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Mexico. Exchange meetings with local staff have also been held to help the new employees directly experience the different cultures.

When they come back to Japan, they will participate in operational training for two months to learn wiring harness manufacturing in more depth at the four group companies in Japan.

We will aggressively continue striving to develop internationally accepted employees in the true sense of the word.

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