Career Design for college students and students
On September 20, Orbray’s Kuroishi Factory hosted a Career Design Session for university students from the surrounding area. The event, occurring before the students begin their official job hunt, aimed to provide them with exposure to various companies, expand their career options, and help them envision what working life could look like.
We also saw this event, organized at the request of Aomori Prefecture, as an opportunity to introduce students to Orbray. President Riyako and Education & Training Department Manager Yumiko Saito put great effort into creating a meaningful experience for the students, marking our company's first career design event. Four students from Hirosaki University, Hirosaki Gakuin University, and Shibata Gakuen University, including an international student from China, participated in the session.
The day began with a brief introduction to Orbray and the Kuroishi Factory, after which President Riyako shared her inspiring journey. Once a child who struggled with sports, she overcame her limitations to become a top snowboarder, winning the All-Japan Snowboarding Championships and competing in the World Cup. President Riyako attributed her achievements to relentless self-discipline and early adoption of the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Action) cycle – a strategy initially developed for quality control in factories, which she adapted as a young athlete to continuously improve her performance.
After becoming president four years ago, President Riyako has championed initiatives to listen to employees and support their aspirations. She observed that many employees held themselves back, doubting their abilities or abandoning their dreams before taking action. Her message to employees is clear: don’t give up on your dreams, even as an adult. She encouraged students to view their perceived weaknesses as strengths, reframing qualities like “fidgety” into “proactive” and “passive” into “thoughtful.” Students were then asked to reframe their own weaknesses to build self-confidence and foster a positive mindset.
During lunch, students had the chance to chat with President Riyako and young employees in a relaxed setting, discussing Orbray, career development, and their impressions of the company.
In the afternoon, they toured the factory, where managers provided hands-on introductions to each department's products and operations.
The day concluded with a workshop led by Yumiko Saito, who re-entered the workforce after raising two children, becoming a company manager, a respected career consultant, and now Orbray’s Education & Training Manager. Saito shared insights on workplace communication and encouraged students to think of organizational changes as something they can influence, empowering them to envision the kind of workplace they want to be part of. The students found this hands-on approach to career design and personal empowerment enlightening.
Students remarked that the event helped them develop a clearer sense of working life, with one student noting her admiration for the pride and satisfaction Orbray employees showed. Although Orbray currently has a higher percentage of male employees, the company strives to create a supportive environment for women, including a focus on leadership development.
President Riyako dedicated almost the entire day to the students, demonstrating our commitment to nurturing future talent and creating an inclusive workplace. This event was a promising step toward building a brighter future for both the students and Orbray’s Kuroishi Factory.
