GLOBAL LEADER PROJECT 

▣ On August 29th, 2008, the government confirmed and announced its “Youth Employment Promotion Measures”.

▣ In recent years, the youth employment rate has continued to fall (45.1% in 2004 → 42.6% in 2007) and the number of young people having difficulties in finding employment, such as those unemployed or preparing for employment, has topped one million.

 ○ The main aim of the measures is to intensively implement specialized policies for vulnerable groups of workers who have difficulties in finding employment as they are directly affected by the recent economic slump, and

 ○ to fundamentally solve youth employment problems by reforming school education and advancing economic and industrial structures in the mid to long term.

1. Providing youth-friendly job-creation support

 ○ (Helping youths start up their business and fostering young social entrepreneurs) The government is to raise its guarantee level for businesses with high growth potential, which are started up by young people. (100 billion won in the second half of 2008→ 300 billion won in 2009)

   - Young people will be encouraged to start up their own business in the areas of craft and design where it is possible to start up a business based on skills and ideas with little capital.

 ○ (Expanding internship opportunities at SMEs and large companies) The Government-supported Youth Internship Program is to be implemented. If an SME employs youths under this internship program, 50% of their wages will be subsidized for six months. If young people participating in the internship program are employed as regular workers, the subsidy will be additionally provided for another six months. (5,000 beneficiaries in 2009)

2. Expanding job experience opportunities and nurturing workforces meeting industrial demands

 ○ (Fostering Korean-style meister high schools and technical institutes) Korean-style meister high schools are to be run through which workforces needed for strategic industries will be nurtured jointly by companies, local governments and schools.(20 such schools in 2008→50 in 2010)

      * For students attending these schools, the government is to expand the postponement of military drafts and recruitment of military personnel with special skills. The schools will be given autonomy to decide on their courses, textbooks, etc.

 ○ (Nurturing 100,000 young leaders for future industries) The government is to come up with measures to nurture young leaders in core future industries with good growth prospects and great capability to create jobs, such as culture, IT, the environment, advanced medical care (Sept. 2008).

 ○ (Providing one-stop support combining training and employment at the industry level) The government is to help industry-level employers' organizations provide training that meets industrial demands, and link such training to employment.

   - In order to foster skilled workers who are in short supply in each industry or region (e.g. mechatronics, jewelry design), the government is to hold training  contests by industry and region (53 billion won for the year 2008).

3. Easing mismatch by expanding infrastructure for youth employment

 ○ (Promoting the employment of vulnerable youths) The government is to carry out the New Start Protect for Youth which provides one-year intensive care (individualized intensive counseling→job training & on-the-job experience program→job placement) for young people who especially have difficulties in getting a job because of low education levels, long-term unemployment, etc., so that they can succeed in finding employment (10,000 beneficiaries in 2009 and 20,000 thereafter).

 ○ (Reinforcing the system of providing employment-related information, such as information on jobs, employment, etc.) The government is to develop and disseminate an edutainment program that would allow people to get a taste of various job areas by playing online games, and to set up an employment service portal that would integrate various information, such as on academic areas at colleges, jobs, training, qualifications, etc. (2009)

 ○ (Operating Job World, a comprehensive job experience center) Job World will be completed by 2011 and provide job experience opportunities to 1.2 million young people (of which one million are elementary, middle and high school students and 0.2 million are others) every year. 

4. Mid-to long-term tasks

 ○ (On the demand side) Job creation measures in such sectors as broadcasting and communications, construction, the environment, culture, tourism, etc., will be come up with (second half of 2008).

 ○ (On the supply side) Structural reforms, such as the merger and abolition of colleges and of similar or redundant departments in colleges,  will be pursued to meet society's demands.

 ○ (Infrastructure) The private employment service market will be actively fostered by largely entrusting the private sector to carry out the programs initiated by the government and by relaxing price controls on fee-charging job placement services.