Clark: The touch panel industry and training

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

UNKNOWN to many, the Clark Freeport is a leading producer of today's highly demandable and widely used touch panel products like cellphones, tablets and computer monitors.

One of Clark’s locators is even an exponent in training and techno transfer of Filipino workers as it sends employees to high-tech country Japan.

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Anticipating an increase in demand for its touch panel products, SMK Electronics Philippines Corp. (SMK-PH) has embarked on a unique overseas training that is unparalleled in terms of technical upgrade on skills and knowledge and social impact in the Clark Freeport Zone Area.

SMK-PH will be processing more applicant-trainees by January next year as its training program continues to grow.

"This is a great opportunity for our workers and our new engineering graduates from the Pampanga area because rare is the opportunity to have a highly technical training that is practically all expenses paid," said Herrie Raymond H. Rivera, SMK-PH General Affairs and Human Resource (GA/HR) Manager.
 
10 years now

Rivera said the training program has been ongoing for more than 10 years. Last December 8, 2011, SMK-PH has deployed its 26th trainee-batch to Japan, says Rivera, who is also in charge of the Overseas Training Program of SMK-PH. 

Under the auspices of the Japan Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) together with the Japan International Trade Cooperation Organization (JITCO), SMK Electronics, to date, has been able to send close to 400 engineers, analysts, production leaders and operators in Quality Control and Quality Audit (QC/QA).

After a one- to three-year training, the technical trainees return to SMK-PH to transfer the technology learned, often becoming section managers, supervisors and line leaders.

For Touch Panel production process, SMK Toyama City has served as the training site for SMK-PH trainees. Located in southern part of Japan, approximately 500 miles away from Tokyo, Toyama prefecture’s rural setting is ideal for training. With its lush mountains and historical sites, SMK-PH trainees have been able to cope with the demands of their technical training and stress of being away from their families.

Initially in 2001, only the Best Operator and Loyalty Awardees at SMK-PH were given the opportunity to undergo overseas training. In 2004, Kapampangan engineering graduates from the Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) were recruited and deployed for three-year overseas training and have since returned and are now key persons in the SMK PH Clark factory. 

By 2007, outstanding Dual Training System (DTS) graduates were deployed for further training in Japan in the latest techniques on touch panel production process. DTS is a technical training scholarship offered by SMK-PH to local schools like Mary Help of Christians in Mabalacat town.

In 2010, SMK-PH in cooperation with Holy Angel University (HAU) initially recruited top Industrial Engineering graduates for the overseas training.
 
Expanded Recruitment

Starting next year, SMK-PH will also recruit top engineering graduates from universities (HAU, AUF, BSU, TSU & DHVSU) in the Clark Freeport area. They will be trained overseas on design, production engineering (process and machine), production planning and Quality Control. Slots for loyalty and best operator awardees will also be retained.

Those who qualify and selected will undergo three months process immersion training at SMK-PH factory, 70 hours Basic Japanese language training, Japanese culture and lifestyle orientation, Training Program Code of Conduct while their documents are being processed.

Rivera said that at the onset of SMK-PH training, applicable salaries, cost of documentation are paid by SMK (from passports, local clearances and certificates to air fare).

“Upon having satisfactorily passed the in-plant immersion, they will be then deployed to SMK Toyama. Free accommodations, subsidized food and transportation plus training allowance commensurate to the cost of living in Japan await successful training candidates.”
 
New Opportunity

Aside from the technical training in touch panel production, SMK-PH will also send other experts to Japan.

SMK-Toyama recently tapped SMK-PH GA/HR department to handle human resource functions of the Toyama factory. This new HR system requires an SMK-PH staff to be based in Japan on a one-year rotation.

"This is another opportunity for our talented workers in the Philippines to be trained and to train as well," adds Rivera
SMK-PH has been a consistent top exporter among Clark manufacturing firms. It produces touch panels for satellite navigation, ATM machines, Point-Of-Sale registry, tablets, remote controls, other electronic gadgets.