P-mates

	Factory Internship Program for High School Students

Two high school students were accepted again this year for the internship program, which lasted two days, June 7-8.
This year's two interns were Masters Komatsu and Uematsu, both of Shizuoka Prefectural Numazu Industrial High School.

The internship program for high school students differs slightly from that for university students. By giving participants a taste of the workplace, it's designed to make them aware of the need for specialized training and thus assist them in their future studies. It also helps them map out their future career plans while teaching them proper work attitudes and social skills. Another goal is to refine their communication abilities by giving them the opportunity to interact with working people other than their teachers and parents.

Last year's interns spent most of their time on fracture analysis and other forms of testing on molded plastic products at the Technical Solution Center. This year's pair was assigned to the Manufacturing Division's Energy Group, so they could get to experience something close to what it's like to actually make something.

The two interns were, for starters, absolutely amazed at the sheer size of the boiler facility! Once hands-on training began, they listened intently to everything their instructor had to tell them, and questions flew back and forth. They got to experience a more demanding few days than they would in the classroom back in school.
The experience will hopefully prove of some value to the two interns when it comes to choosing a future career.

	Self-Introduction of a New Member (Ms. Hasegawa)

I am Hasegawa, a new member of the P-Mates Editorial Team. I have been analyzing the structure of plastics at TSC, but transferred to the Human Resources Dept. in Tokyo in May.

I joined the company five years ago, and because through my job I constantly encountered new things, every day was tension-filled. And the way the work was done was unique. I have worked out in the field until now. Every day I struggled to understand just what the essential characteristics of plastics are, and what kinds of experiments would reveal them. From now on, I must perform my work, conscious of the overall company organization and systems. It is still almost completely unfamiliar to me, but in a certain introductory test for persons in charge of human resources, it is written, "It is important for a person in charge of human resources to work constantly thinking about the places where people work." I want to eventually be able to do work that takes advantage of my personal history.
I intend to constantly keep my eyes and ears open to provide interesting topics as I take part in the editing of P-Mate. I look forward to your support and cooperation.