JellyWare Launches 'AI & IoT Training for Manufacturing' Focused on Building Prototypes to Solve Shop-Floor Issues

JellyWare Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo) will launch the 'AI & IoT Hands-on Hybrid Talent Development Training for Manufacturing', aimed at frontline manufacturing staff and DX promoters, starting Friday, May 22, 2026. This training is characterized by a hands-on approach where participants learn AI and IoT implementation skills—which cannot be acquired through classroom lectures alone—by 'suddenly building a prototype'.

Composed of a 'Mindset Program' to foster a sense of ownership and a 'Tech Program (Hands-on)' where participants build actual working prototypes with their own hands, the program aims to cultivate 'hybrid talent'. This talent will be capable of addressing manufacturing challenges such as labor shortages, reliance on individual skills, and dependence on veteran workers by articulating shop-floor issues in technological terms, prototyping solutions themselves, and handling internal decision-making and negotiations with external vendors.

Background: Challenges Faced by the Manufacturing Shop Floor

In Japan's manufacturing industry, particularly in the Aichi and Tokai areas, structural issues have become apparent, including severe labor shortages, difficulties in transferring skills due to the aging of skilled workers, and highly individualized operations dependent on specific veterans.

Meanwhile, although the need for DX promotion is increasing, there are many cases where investments fail to be utilized on the shop floor due to the high costs of outsourcing to external vendors or the introduction of systems that are disconnected from the actual site. The frontline staff themselves know the shop floor's problems best, but merely learning the basics of AI and IoT only takes them one step forward. DX originating from the shop floor can only move forward when there is talent capable of organizing issues in technical terms, creating small prototypes, using those prototypes to persuade managers and executives, and negotiating requirements on an equal footing with external vendors.

Based on this concept, the training was designed to cultivate 'hybrid talent' that bridges shop-floor challenges and technology.

Overall Concept of the Training (4 Phases)

The training consists of four phases, starting with the 'Mindset Program' to foster ownership, followed by the core 'Tech Program' progressing through issue organization, prototype construction, and internal deployment.

Training Features

1. Hands-on format: 'Suddenly Building a Prototype' Rather than lecture-based learning, participants will complete a working prototype with their own hands during the training period. By bringing the completed prototype to the shop floor or management, DX discussions shift from 'debates on paper' to 'discussions based on a working product'.

2. Specialized in manufacturing use cases The exercise themes are based on actual challenges faced on the shop floor, such as automatic measurement of inspection times using acceleration sensors, automation of routine PC tasks using shortcut keyboard jigs, and visual inspection using AI image classification. The structure allows for immediate application to the company's own processes after the course.

3. Open to beginners in programming / Customizable for companies Adopting a hands-on format that carefully explains operations from the basics and resolves stumbling blocks on the spot. Based on prior hearings, it is also possible to partially customize the exercise themes and data used for your company.

Overall Structure of the Training Program

The training consists of a 'Mindset Program' (2 hours) to foster ownership and a 'Tech Program' (Courses A-D / 15 hours each) to actually build prototypes.

The '+1' Effect of Hybrid Talent Development

In addition to developing hybrid talent, this training brings the following '+1' effects to companies.

1. Acquire effective devices for the shop floor while learning The prototype built by the participant during the training can be brought into internal discussions as a 'concrete proposal that is one step away from solving the issue'. It can be used immediately after training as the first step for investment decisions and shop-floor improvement.

2. Understand the essence and become stronger in outsourcing By getting hands-on experience and understanding the key points of the technology, the quality of requirement definition with external vendors improves. It enables efficient articulation of specifications and leads to negotiation power to proactively advance DX in-house.

3. Reproduce internal education with one course The prototype and teaching materials brought back by the participant become company assets, creating a system to continuously accumulate and inherit skills that connect 'shop-floor challenges' with 'digital technology'. Horizontal rollout to other employees is also smooth.

Training Costs and Subsidies

The training is a two-tier structure consisting of the preliminary 'Mindset Program' and the core 'Tech Program', and plans can be flexibly combined according to your budget and requests.

[Mindset Program] (2 hours) The preliminary part of the training to foster a sense of ownership. 100,000 yen per person (excluding tax, 80,000 yen online). Can also be implemented standalone.

[Tech Program] (15 hours per course) 1 course plan: 2