Fostering Youth Development

Kaneka Manufacturing Class
Effort of the Kaneka Group

Kaneka Group is active in efforts to foster youth development in communities where it operates.
We will make a continuous contribution to local communities through youth development.

Kaneka Manufacturing Class

We provide support to Core-Net, a certified non-profit organization that aims to foster youth development, using know-how from industry and the experience and knowledge of retired executives of companies.
Core-Net is mainly involved in education support (manufacturing and science experiment classes for kindergarten, elementary, and junior high school students) and corporate support (entrepreneurship and vocational courses for senior high school and university students). Continuing from 2014, we worked together with Core-Net to annually offer Kaneka Manufacturing Classes, in which sixth graders assembled Scrollers II (a small self-powered rolling robot) kits, aiming to increase children’s interest and improve understanding of manufacturing.
Every year, retired employees and newly hired employees of our company take part as lecturers in classes at elementary schools near Takasago Manufacturing Site, Osaka Manufacturing Site, and Shiga Manufacturing Site. In fiscal 2021, lecturers took part in classes at Torikai Nishi Elementary School, located near the Osaka Manufacturing Site. At Takasago Elementary School, located near the Takasago Manufacturing Site, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, instead of providing face-to-face instruction, we prepared supplementary teaching materials to help students at the school experience the enjoyment and the sense of achievement that can come from creating something. We will continue to offer these classes.

Effort of the Kaneka Group

＜Takasago Manufacturing Site, Kaneka Takasago Service Center Co., Ltd.＞

Altogether, around 330 people took part in planting seedlings in the spring and digging sweet potatoes in the fall in the fields around the plant with local kindergarteners, elementary school students, and students from a special needs school.

Potato digging

＜Takasago Manufacturing Site＞

Held classes at a nearby elementary school on Kaneka’s product, Kaneka biodegradable polymer Green Planet™, under the topic of the SDGs.
Local lecturers participated at a nearby junior high school, teaching on the topic of “learning about the region.”

＜Osaka Manufacturing Site＞

Implemented a work experience program at a nearby junior high school to foster an attitude of setting goals and systematically tackling problems posed by companies, and thinking about career choices through classes.

Work experience

＜Kashima Manufacturing Site＞

Provided work experience online for a nearby high school so students could experience working in a plant.

Work experience

＜Kaneka Africa Liaison Office＞

Held leadership training.

＜Kaneka Solartech Corporation＞

Gave lectures on leading-edge science and technology for students at a model STEAM education school.

＜Kaneka Nishinippon Styrol Co., Ltd., Kochi Styrol Co., Ltd.＞

Hosted a social studies field trip from a neighboring elementary school.

Social studies field trip

＜PT.Kaneka Foods Indonesia＞

Provided interns with opportunities to learn leadership and communication skills and experience product analysis.

Interns

＜Kaneka Hokkaido Co., Ltd.＞

Employees served as instructors, holding bread-making training for students of a cooking course at a nearby high school.

Bread-making class

＜Kaneka Hokkaido Styrol Co., Ltd., Shinka Shokuhin Co., Ltd., Tochigi Kaneka Corporation＞

Accepted local high school students for on-site training.

On-site training at Tochigi Kaneka

＜Kaneka (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.＞

Supported the renovation of nearby school facilities.

＜Taiyo Yushi Corporation＞

Held Black Ship Soap, a joint project with a local elementary school and neighboring organization, and implemented OEM(*) production as a joint initiative between industry, government, and academia.

* Original equipment manufacturing: Making products for other companies’ brands. Or, a company to which manufacturing is outsourced.

Lecturers visited schools and other facilities under the theme of thinking about the environment starting with a single bar of soap.

Visiting lecturer

Co-sponsored Children’s Eco-Life Mission 2021 held in Yokohama. Companies support various environmental activities for elementary school students. Donated sponsorship money to environmental conservation activities of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and received a letter of appreciation from WFP.