The Center has been providing language education (such as online English conversation lessons) for Japanese employees. In fiscal 2020, the Center began offering the Stage 1 Japanese language education (Japanese Language Proficiency Test or JLPT Level 5) for foreign employees at our bases in 15 countries, including Japan. While face-to-face classes cannot be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Center’s employees served as instructors and conducted live classes via Zoom, distributing the videos using a web-based platform. These classes are based on a completely original curriculum developed by the Center. We have also set up an advanced class for employees who can speak Japanese, aiming for a level that will allow them to work at sites in Japan. We strive to find outstanding human resources in each country through education. In fiscal 2021, the classes will further advance to Stage 2 (JLPT Level 4). We will also increase the number of students in the advanced class to provide Japanese language education to more foreign employees.

For company-wide globalization, we believe that the best way to ensure smooth communication is for both parties to learn from each other, with Japanese employees learning English and foreign employees learning Japanese. Thus, we will continue to expand and further develop language education.

It is stated in the“Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Group Declaration of Globalization,” released in January 2020, that one of the Group’s specific measures for globalization is to “Establish developing and evaluating systems of global human resources, actively recruit and promote talented human resources regardless of nationality.” To take this measure, it requires various preparations and mechanisms, and the Cross Functional Team is one of those mechanisms. “The Cross Functional Team” is the name of a cross-site team specialized in industrial photography. It consists of foreign engineers currently working in Branches of Tokyo, Yokohama, Chubu, Hiroshima, and International Division. We started this team in fiscal 2019 to ensure that foreign engineers can work smoothly at domestic sites and quickly compensate for the shortcomings of domestic engineers. At present, more than 30 members are working at each branch and division. We are confident that working together with Japanese and foreign employees will accelerate our globalization.