■ Established 40 Years Ago, Producing 966 Construction Skilled Workers: The "Polus Construction Technical Training School" Polus Group (Headquarters: Koshigaya City, Representative: Koji Nakauchi) has been establishing and operating the "Polus Construction Technical Training School" since 1987 to train carpenters and craftspeople within the company, supporting the creation of safe and secure homes. Through a full boarding system and a clear career path, we systematically educate young individuals in carpentry and interior finishing skills, achieving significant results in securing and steadily developing young talent. ■ Purpose of Establishing the Training School The primary objective in launching the training school was to achieve the ultimate form of "employees performing construction" as a means to improve the quality of our own products (housing). To support our group's strength in integrated construction and continue providing high-quality homes, the existence of "company carpenters" with advanced skills and broad knowledge is indispensable. Towards realizing this ideal, we opened our corporate training school in 1987, and in 1998, it was established as a vocational training corporation certified by the Governor of Saitama Prefecture. We have continued this endeavor steadily for 40 years without interruption. To date, we have produced 966 graduates who are active on the front lines of construction sites within the group. ■ Challenges in the Construction Industry Amidst the serious issues of an aging workforce and labor shortages in the construction industry, one of the contributing factors is the limitation of the traditional apprenticeship system. In the apprenticeship system, the master bears a heavy burden to teach the apprentice, but due to the decrease in housing starts and the widespread use of pre-cut materials processed in factories, masters can no longer earn enough to support apprentices. Furthermore, in some cases, the teaching becomes one-sided due