The company hosted a plant tour for female junior high and high school students, providing opportunities to explore educational and career paths through interactions with employees.
Posted by Erin Finan, Managing Editor
Tokyo-based Tanaka Precious Metal Group Co. Ltd. is participating in Girls Meet STEM, a tour-based program in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields for female junior high and high school students, organized by the Yamada Shintaro D&I Foundation in collaboration with technical colleges, universities, companies and research institutions.
Under the theme “Gold Is More Than Bars and Jewelry! Discover Gold in Everyday Life and Explore Careers in Gold and STEM,” Tanaka held a tour at its Shonan Plant Aug. 6.
Tanaka says it joined the Girls Meet STEM program to encourage younger generations to explore future career paths while broadening their horizons, regardless of gender or traditional distinctions between the humanities and STEM fields.
As part of the company’s efforts to support diverse talent in the STEM fields, the tour included opportunities to interact with female employees working at Tanaka and a tour of the plant. Twenty participants (11 junior high school students and 9 high school students) took part in the tour.
During the tour of the Shonan Plant, participants observed the process of recycling precious metals from scraps, as well as the analysis of precious metal grades, which Tanaka says helped students deepen their understanding of the business, including precious metal recycling and manufacturing operations.
Through a hands-on experience with gold bullion, students were able to learn about precious metals in a more tangible way. The tour was followed by a roundtable discussion with female employees from STEM backgrounds, who shared what had inspired them to pursue STEM, the roles they currently hold and what they found rewarding about their work.
Participants asked questions regarding further education and future careers, Tanaka says, and the dialogue with employees offered more insight regarding what it is like to work in the STEM fields.
Tanaka says that after the tour, participants shared their thoughts, making comments like, “I’m currently thinking of going into the humanities, but I’ve realized that a career in STEM could be enjoyable too,” and “I want to take an interest in all sorts of things and try my hand at various challenges without categorizing my pursuits in terms of ‘humanities’ and ‘sciences.’”
The diversity, equity and inclusion lead at Tanaka expressed their commitment to continuing such initiatives in the future, saying “I would be delighted if this event helped participants feel more connected to the STEM fields and manufacturing, serving as a catalyst for them to reflect on their own career paths and future potential.”
“I also believe that the roundtable discussion provided an opportunity for our female employees to reflect on their own future career paths. We intend to continue offering such opportunities on an ongoing basis,” they added.
Tanaka says it will continue to assist in creating opportunities for younger generations to deepen their understanding of the STEM fields and broaden their own horizons.