Graduation Ceremony of Toyota Technical Skills Academy: Encouraging New Leaders with Combined Strength and Compassion (Part 1)
In a year marked by unprecedented challenges, the graduates of the Toyota Technical Skills Academy demonstrated resilience, teamwork, and a commitment to service. The graduation ceremony, held on February 18, 2021, was greatly altered due to COVID-19, with attendance limited to graduates and instructors. However, the ceremony was webcast to the students' parents, allowing them to share in the celebration.
Established in 1938, one year after the establishment of Toyota Motor Corporation, the Academy provides a comprehensive programme for students. The three-year high school programme is followed by a one-year technical programme for technical high school graduates. This year, approximately 250 students graduated from the Academy.
The pandemic forced the students to rely upon the "YOU perspective", an attitude to take action for others. They began a project to make cloth face masks due to the cancellation of off-campus trainings. This project not only helped them identify and overcome their weaknesses but also taught them the importance of thinking about what they could do for others and making themselves happy by bringing smiles and happiness to others.
The students divided into teams to produce high-quality masks quickly and affordably, based on the Toyota Production System (TPS). Miyagawa's team struggled with backstitching due to insufficient sewing skills, but improved productivity by updating specifications to just running stitching.
The students also engaged in practical and interactive activities. They solved challenging situations creatively, visited hospital departments to directly experience medical challenges, and reflected on prevention's importance to avoid accidents. Through patient encounters and classroom discussions, they learned to make responsible decisions, understood the significance of prevention, and gained a deeper awareness of human stories behind statistics.
In addition to their mask-making project, the students demonstrated their commitment to service in other ways. The professional course students, seeking to further improve their skills, decided to weed and clean local parks when all training outside of school was cancelled. They removed weeds by hand to give children a worry-free place to play.
The students also coordinated the donation of masks to local medical associations and the city hall's Day Care Division. Chikaishi learned the importance of meeting the needs of others during the mask donation process.
Starting with a blank slate, the students learned to think and act on their own. Students who attend the Academy are under employment of Toyota and are expected to lead Toyota plants in their future career. Many locals thanked the students for their work and offered food and drinks as a token of appreciation.
The Academy aims to cultivate professional skills of monozukuri, a term referring to the art of manufacturing. With their graduation, these students are ready to make a significant impact in the world of manufacturing and beyond.
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