Toyota 2014 Annual Report Download - page 16

ANNUAL REPORT 2014
President’s MessagePresident’s Message
Overview of
Four Business Units
Overview of
Four Business Units
Special FeatureSpecial Feature
Review of OperationsReview of Operations
Consolidated Performance
Highlights
Consolidated Performance
Highlights
Management and
Corporate Information
Management and
Corporate Information
Investor InformationInvestor Information
Financial SectionFinancial Section
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Toyota aims to deliver cars that open up new
lifestyles for consumers, cars that change
lives for the better and bring new discoveries.
As we strive to do this, our ideals and pride in
manufacturing are evident at every stage,
from development through production and
sales, and ensuring the performance and
quality of every car we make.
Toyota believes that cars are more than a
means of transportation, being a source of
excitement and exhilaration. At Toyota, we
foster human resources to ensure that our
DNA is passed on to future generations so
that we can continue to sustainably create
truly great cars.
Inherited expertise in manufacturing put
to the test at world-class contests
Toyota’s competitiveness is derived from its
manufacturing expertise and the passing on of
this expertise to the next generation. Toyota
participates in the WorldSkills Competition, which
tests the competence of young employees (the
under 22s), to create opportunities for the voca-
tional workers at the core of our operations to
build on their abilities and learn advanced tech-
niques. Held once every two years since 1950,
this international contest aims to encourage voca-
tional mastery, foster exchange among people of
various nationalities, and nurture appreciation for
technical workmanship. At the 42nd WorldSkills
Competition held in Leipzig, Germany, in July
2013, 1,007 competitors represented 53 coun-
tries and regions in 46 vocational skills. Eight
employees from Toyota competed in seven voca-
tions, with two being awarded gold medals and
all eight contestants receiving prizes. Toyota was
responsible for two of the five gold medals won
by Japan. Over the years, Toyota has won a total
of 25 gold medals, 13 silver medals, and 9 bronze
medals at this international contest.
In addition, four employees of Toyota in
Thailand and Indonesia participated in two voca-
tional fields, taking home one gold medal and two
silver medals. A culture emphasizing vocational
skills has taken hold at our bases overseas. The
Next WorldSkills Competition is slated for São
Paulo, Brazil, in August 2015.
The National Skills Competition has been held
in Japan annually since 1963. Toyota has partici-
pated since 1966, and currently enters the
competition in 10 vocational fields related to auto-
motive manufacturing. The 52nd National Skills
Competition will be held in November 2014 in
Toyota’s home prefecture of Aichi, with more than
1,200 participants from across the country,
including 43 young Toyota technicians, compet-
ing for the distinction of best technique in the
country. The gold medalists will represent Japan
at the next international competition in Brazil.
Creative skill use to make ever-better cars
At Toyota’s Takaoka Plant, production lines are
occasionally referred to as “skill inheritance lines.”
The production floor is a place where younger
workers can learn craftsmanship as well as the
rules and principles of manufacturing. These
production lines were created with a sense of
urgency, because we thought that opportunities
Our DNA is Creating Ever-Better Cars
Toyota in 10 Years and 100 Years Our DNA is Creating Ever-Better Cars [1 of 2] What Sets Toyota Apart Enriching Lives and Building Tomorrow’s Toyota through Innovation New Values for the Next Hundred Years Message from the Executive Vice President Responsible for Accounting