Focusing on installation management as a way to ensure the quality of commercial products and help solve the construction industry labor shortage

High-rise construction involves combining skills from 27 different, specialized professions, including carpenters and plasterers. YKK AP’s role spans from manufacturing sashes and CWs to drafting installation plans and installing the actual products.

Installation technicians are the ones who actually install sashes and CWs. As a fittings business operator, YKK AP stations expert installation managers  at construction sites around the nation to provide guidance and manage the installation, ensuring that products are accurately and safely installed.

As of April 2023, YKK AP has 252 installation managers who are in charge of safety, process, and quality management at installation sites. They also build cooperative relationships with technicians to help construct the best high-rise buildings through sash and CW installation.

An issue in the high-rise building construction industry is the lack of installation managers and technicians. These workers are also aging. We are hoping to train young people who will take over, but it’s difficult to find them, perhaps because they see construction as a tough job. This is a major problem threatening business continuation. I also think young people aren’t interested in this job because it is dangerous, and sometimes they must work from morning to night with few days off. But this may be a chance as well as a challenge, and I believe there will be more opportunities if young people enter this industry. That’s why we must start by thinking about how to hire young people, and then make sure they stay in their positions.

In FY2013, the YKK AP Group Installation Cooperative established the YKK AP Installation Skills Training Academy for training young employees as a way to help resolve these issues. It is an educational facility for mastering, refining, and passing down skills, and provides support for helping young people inherit these abilities (something that has become more difficult due to the labor shortage and aging). The cooperative also started the Youth Division in 2015 with the goal of developing and acquiring young, next-generation human resources—not just installation technicians, but also employees in other fields like business management. This division focuses on passing down skills and cultivating human resources.

Chairman Nonoyama established the Youth Division. Regarding technicians in particular, he said, “Besides training, we also have to reform work styles to prevent turnover among young employees. This includes providing days off and creating systems for employee benefits and retirement.”

It's also important to offer opportunities to young people. Making time for training is difficult because the high-rise construction process is so precise. Young technicians also work slower than veteran employees, which means they have fewer chances to gain experience. I believe that one part of an installation manager’s job is to negotiate with the construction companies who are our clients. Of course veteran employees are capable, but we can’t develop young, inexperienced employees without giving them the chance to do on-site work. It's true that there  are difficulties when using less-experienced technicians, who require more guidance, but I want to help them grow by providing actual experience.

I think the best aspect of this job is being a part of creating actual high-rise buildings—I can show my friends and family members the buildings that I helped construct. Of course there are many difficult things, but there are lots of enjoyable parts as well, and I feel a sense of achievement working on buildings that become city landmarks.

To ensure that we aren’t the last of our kind, the most important part of our role is passing down what we know to future generations. That’s why I hope to be someone whom young people can look up to. I will keep cooperating with technicians as we construct buildings that remain for future generations.

In addition to safety, YKK AP is making new efforts to maintain quality and accuracy while shortening installation processes. This includes implementing installation methods that require fewer workers, coming up with simpler installation methods, and using robots. I think that initiatives will be carried out using IT for better work efficiency, process management, and to train young people.

In addition to this tangible progress, I also believe we must build a pleasant working environment. By passing down skills, working to train young people, and reforming work styles, I think the YKK AP Group Installation Cooperative will help solve issues and change the way of thinking in the industry. I also hope that young people will be interested in high-rise building installation as the labor environment changes along with the times in the construction industry.

*1: A curtain wall (CW) is a curtain-like exterior wall that does not contribute to the building structure, used in high-rise and other buildings. It has a structure made of pillars and beams with an outer wall constructed from aluminum, glass, and other materials. YKK AP started its Global Curtain Wall Business Division in April 2023 and is further enhancing its domestic and international CW business.