CSRC Group actively promotes talent cultivation and has drafted “Training Management Measures” to address international development and future operational needs. Additionally, to uphold the brand spirit, five comprehensive training programs are designed for new personnel training, core functions, management capabilities, professional skills, Environmental Safety and Health. The scope includes regular employees of CSRC and its directly managed subsidiaries.

CSRC Internal Digital Courses

The internal digital training courses at CSRC not only cover topics such as carbon black product applications and production processes but also include regulatory compliance, quality awareness, cultural shaping, carbon trends and management, advanced technologies, strategic leadership, and more. The purpose is to enable employees to learn autonomously and freely, without the constraints of time and space, and to arrange learning in a more diverse range of fields.

Training status of the Group and each region in 2024

Average training hours for the Group and each region

Experience Inheritance and Knowledge Building Project

CSRC deeply understands the importance of internal knowledge exchange among employees. In addition to formulating the "Internal Lecturer Measures" (applicable to full-time employees of CSRC and its directly governed subsidiaries), to cultivate and encourage employees to teach, the Company also conducts regular seminars on consensus cohesion strategy for senior executives. Through these activities, management consensus is gathered to jointly establish future operational strategies as the basis for the development of various department goals and serve as a channel for the exchange of internal senior and high-level employees.

In 2019, we have launched the "Experience Inheritance and Knowledge Building Project," through which senior employees use a mentoring system to transform their years of accumulated knowledge and technical experience into important teaching materials. During the knowledge building project, mentoring and mutual discussion between masters and apprentices have created a knowledge repository that enhances workflow optimization and improves work efficiency.

In 2022, CSRC has promoted the Carbon Black Academy as a talent cultivation blueprint. We have completed production unit training blueprint and gradually expanded to non-production units.

In 2023, the Linyuan Advanced Plant introduced and implemented the "New Employee Mentor System" in production units. Each new employee is assigned a dedicated mentor for six months of close guidance to help them quickly adapt to their roles. This system is based on job descriptions to promote the development of professional skills, with the ultimate goal of achieving the required job performance. Corresponding courses and training durations are designed accordingly.

In 2024, to further enhance the effectiveness of education and training in practical applications, we will launch the "Carbon Black Learning Map" project. This project will conduct an in-depth inventory and classification of the professional skills and knowledge required for various positions and levels within the production units: Carbon Black and Cogeneration. It will clearly list the corresponding training items needed, establish appropriate training methods and verification mechanisms, and continuously develop comprehensive educational training materials. In conjunction with the "New Employee Mentor System," we will initiate capability assessments, training guidance, and verification for new employees in production units, thereby enabling more accurate improvement of capabilities.

Rehiring senior staff as consultants

In addition, CSRC fully leverages the skills and experience of its senior staff by rehiring retired senior employees as consultants. In 2024, the Linyuan Advanced Plant in Greater China rehired four retired senior employees, the Mannshan Plant rehired one, and the India region rehired two under professional service contracts. These senior employees, with nearly 30 years of practical experience, will assist in training new and current employees, establishing a knowledge base for production processes, integrating and promoting improvement projects across various plants, and building a talent pipeline.

Global Elite Program

CSRC actively supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In response to the expansion of the group's overseas presence, CSRC has launched the "Global Elite Program" to actively recruit and cultivate global management talent. From 2023, the training period has been adjusted to 15 months The program now includes increased hands-on experience in the initial phase, followed by in-depth participation in medium to large-scale cross-departmental and cross-plant projects in the later phase. Finally, participants will undergo practical overseas internships to develop and enhance their crossfunctional breadth and professional depth. By 2024, a total of 33 elites will have been trained over seven cohorts, with 10 of them becoming overseas executives for CSRC, stationed in plants in China, India, and Turkey. These executives will manage the operations and production of overseas plants and assist with new plant construction projects.

Mentorship Program for New Employees

A six-month mentorship program is provided for new colleagues in production and manufacturing units. A senior colleague guides them in professional skills and job knowledge through practical work execution, supported by the "Carbon Black Learning Map" capability assessment. The program includes learning reviews and feedback at 3 and 6 months to help new employees adapt quickly. In 2024, four new employees successfully passed the validation stages and smoothly transitioned into their roles with the help of this program.