DeLaval Market Area Japan rolls out its first internship programme

In 2025, DeLaval Market Area (MA) Japan launched its first internship programme for new university graduates. Designed to meet the demands of a changing labour market while also strengthening our partnerships with universities – such as Rakuno Gakuen University – the programme deepens our commitment to attracting and developing emerging talent through meaningful, real-world experience.

Pictured: Kazuya Kondo, Sales Office Manager, Yuji Kita, Sales Manager, Shinji Kubota, District Sales and Mobile Shop Manager, Shogo Kiuchi, internship student, Yoshiaki Nakata, District Sales and Mobile Shop Manager, Gentaro Kaneta, Service Technician, and Yoko Shiozawa Customer Service, Obihiro.

Developed through close collaboration between Human Resources (HR), Marketing and Communications (M&C), and frontline teams – including sales representatives, engineers and mobile sales staff – the programme offered more than just hands-on experience. It gave interns a meaningful introduction to the business, built their confidence and capabilities, and laid the foundation for future career growth within a specialised industry.

The spark that started it all 
But why did Japan decide to start an internship programme? The need for such a programme came from the students themselves and their interest. Notably, in the summer of 2024, Shogo Kiuchi—then a third-year dairy nutrition student at Rakuno Gakuen University—wrote to us: "Does DeLaval offer internships? If so, I'd love to participate!"

Shogo had already visited our training centre with the university and also joined in roundtable discussions with our team. His passion was clear—and it was time to think about his future.

Shogo Kiuchi with Yuji Kita, Sales CG Area Manager.

So why was launching an internship programme so important in Japan? To understand why this programme is now needed, it helps to consider how recruitment traditionally works in Japan. Many companies hire graduates directly from university or high school and rotate them through various roles over the course of a decade. This approach helps employees build broad capabilities before settling into a specific career path.

However, that model is evolving. As industries shift and demand more specialised expertise, hiring practices are adapting to meet new business needs. At DeLaval MA Japan, recruitment has typically focused on role-specific hiring – though we’ve also welcomed new graduates into the organisation.

Intern, Shogo Kiuchi, worked with our service technicians to gain experience maintaining the VMS Supra.

What did the internship involve? 
The programme was designed to give students a hands-on look at how supports its customers in the field. Interns, such as Shogo, joined mobile sales representatives and service engineers on farm visits, helping deliver products and exchanging information with customers, observing and trying maintenance work, and learning how DeLaval’s technology fits into daily operations. From replacing liners and milk tubes to servicing VMS units, he got a front-row seat to the technical side of dairy support.

Speaking about the experience, Shogo says: "I’ve always seen dairy farming from the producer’s perspective. But this experience opened my eyes to the people behind the scenes—those who keep things running smoothly. I realised how precise and efficient the work needs to be, and how much teamwork and quality service matter. It’s made me want to explore how large-scale equipment like milking systems impacts farm management.” 

Left to right: Hannah Chen ,HRBP Manager, Mana Motoki, Service technician and Shogo Kiuchi, intern student.

What’s next? 
This is just the beginning. Based on what we’ve learned, we plan to continue—and expand—the programme. DeLaval MA Japan is ready to take on new challenges and attract the next generation of talent.