Giving back to society is one of the five core principles of the PRIMO RING PROJECT, our company’s internal CSR initiative. We are pleased to announce that our “Work Experience Program for Students,” which has been running since 2013 as a part of the PRIMO RING PROJECT, has been recognized in this year’s “This is MECENAT 2020” awards.

Established to enrich society through art and culture, “This is MECENAT” is a certification system, established in 2014 and sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, that recognizes and showcases the social impact of activities, particularly those of companies, that exemplify the concept of mècènat (support of the creation of a prosperous society through art and culture). In consideration of activities that are especially difficult to carry out as usual against the backdrop of the spread of COVID-19 infections, recipients of this year’s “This is MECENAT 2020” certifications were chosen by a panel of experts who looked at past activities and willingness to continue with them in the future. A total of 164 initiatives (96 companies/organizations) were recognized.

 

Our Work Experience Program for Students, which was recognized in this year’s awards, is a learning program that provides junior and senior high school students from across Japan with practical workplace experience. Through this program, students interact with coworkers and customers as they gain actual work experience at one of our many store locations in local communities around the country. Since 2013, Primo Japan Inc. has worked in partnership with local junior high schools in many different communities to give students the opportunity to experience working in the bridal jewelry industry, and the rewarding experience of assisting customers in making this once-in-a-lifetime purchase firsthand.  The program provides a range of carefully designed practical experiences, including a “customer experience”, in which students learn about bridal jewelry for the first time from the customer’s point of view as they receive our staff’s customer service; a “staff experience” in which students handle diamonds, and practice wrapping merchandise and tying ribbons; and also lectures in which they learn about diamonds receive etiquette training.

 

For the past seven years, between 2013 and 2019, this program has been held in Hakodate, Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, Chiba, Kyoto, Kochi, Kagoshima and other locations, with a total of more than 70 students participating. In the future, we will continue offering this program and will continue developing its methods and content so that activities can be held not only at our store locations but also remotely.