Date: August 30, 2022
Location: Kanagawa　　　Participants: 3 high school students and 2 program graduates
Program:

　　　As the final workplace visit program of the summer, we visited APM Terminals in Yokohama invited by Maersk, a major global integrated logistics company. In addition to high school students, two program graduates, who are in their third year in university, also joined the visit. At a harborside office, we were introduced to the basics of the logistics industry, how goods are distributed around the world, and the people and companies involved in the process. Students learned about some of the complexity of logistics, such as customs and different laws that companies must abide by depending on the country. We realized that many companies and people are working in this industry to support our day-to-day lives behind the scenes.

　　　They took us to the deck which overlooks the harbor, where we saw constant traffic of trucks with large containers and huge cranes loading containers onto the ships. We were all amazed by the scale of the operations. We then visited a warehouse nearby, where they loaded and offloaded contents from containers. They showed us actual operations using the forklift, and we even got to go inside a container.

　　　Employees that showed us around the facility were all very friendly and helpful, and students could talk freely and ask questions to anybody throughout the tour. After lunch, students and employees got into groups to talk more personally about the jobs in logistics, experiences of failures, and career paths. Students also asked many questions related to their current interests.

　　　This visit gave us a little more insight into the extensive system that supports our everyday lives. Students had the chance to talk to many adults and learn about the industry, various career paths, and different viewpoints. This newly gained knowledge will be a great help when they are thinking about their future paths. Thank you very much to Maersk and APM Terminals for this amazing experience and a great learning opportunity.