Environmental education at the Mitsubishi Electric Group takes place along two axes: general environmental education for specific career stages and specialized training for specific jobs. Employees of Mitsubishi Electric and our domestic affiliates are subject to these educational programs. Career stages are categorized into new hires, section managers, management and overseas appointments. Job-specific training consists of educational programs for environmental management, materials, product design, manufacturing and sales divisions.
Training for environmental management divisions focuses on training environmental specialists; specifically, key environmental personnel and environmental auditors. Starting in fiscal 2007, we have also provided environmental training for head office divisions in an effort to impart basic knowledge for promoting environmental policies.
These environmental training programs have been provided to employees in Japan, but we have plans to extend their scope to overseas employees as well.
In addition to environmental training, the Mitsubishi Electric Group strives to foster an environmental mindset in all employees through a periodical called Eco-News and other means. Also, in fiscal 2007, we started an outdoor school leadership course and an in-house project for promoting conservation of local woodlands, in order to encourage nature conservation by employees and their families.
Training Outdoor School Leaders
In fiscal 2007, we began training outdoor school leaders in partnership with the Japan Outdoor Life Promotion Society. The leaders teach children the importance of protecting the environment.
The program involves recruiting leader candidates from within the company, providing training through a multi-day workshop, and then having the new leaders conduct nature conservation classes for children at Mitsubishi Electric sites. This program is intended to increase environmental awareness in employees and their families.
Many veteran employees who have supported their workplaces on the environmental management front over the years (certified Environmental Pollution Control Administrators and others) have reached mandatory retirement age, so we are devoting effort to training the next generation of key environmental personnel, who will inherit the technologies and experience of this expert class and promote environmental management activities for the company into the future.
Training for key environmental personnel: learning about how to survey waste processors
We have held group training sessions (five per year) for key environmental personnel since fiscal 2005. Veteran employees who have been involved in pollution control and waste management serve as teachers, and young employees in their twenties and thirties selected from our nationwide organization learn the fundamentals of environmental laws and regulations, methods of risk management for environmental facilities, and practical procedures for risk communication. In fiscal 2007, all 24 employees who participated in the program passed the final exam and finished the program (bringing the three-year total to 64). They are now directly involved in environmental management at our manufacturing works, plants and affiliated companies.
In addition, one of the outcomes of group training is that key environmental personnel form networks with one another, which facilitates communication of various types of information, including on waste-related issues, environmental facility updates and facilities usage. We plan to train 100 key environmental personnel by fiscal 2009 to secure the capacities needed for maintaining and implementing environmental management.
Key Environmental Personnel Curriculum and Acquired Skills
| Curriculum | Features | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Explanation of legal requirements (basic knowledge and application) | Experiences to date and necessary knowledge are taught by teachers within the company | Ability to understand the legal requirements of environment-related laws and regulations, and explain them to others |
| Identification of risks related to environmental facilities and formulation of improvement measures | Management know-how is taught using past accidents and incidents as case studies | Ability to discover and resolve potential environmental risks at worksites before they materialize |
| Practice of internal auditing | Onsite inspections and compliance audits are practiced | Ability to conduct audits with knowledge and experience in environment-related laws and regulations |
It is not enough for environmental auditors to simply have qualifications and experience related to plant management and pollution control. Today, environmental audits cover a wide range of areas, including environmentally conscious product design and green procurement, so auditors must have specialized knowledge and practical experience in these areas as well. Auditing is a form of communication, so verbal abilities are a must, along with an objective, impartial orientation.
Internal auditors at each business site must fulfill the requirements established in rules specific to each site. However, becoming qualified to participate head office-led audits also requires that employees who meet the requirements established by company rules first participate in multiple audits as observers. In order to train this level of environmental auditor, the Mitsubishi Electric Group conducts a number of environmental auditor training programs in line with candidate skill levels.
Environmental auditing guidelines and case studies
An offsite training session for environmental auditors
