Seoul City Excels in Green Industry Specialization, Meister High School Employment Rates, and Certifications

Recruitment of Participating Schools for 'Green Technology Skilled Workforce Training Project' from 4th to 15th
Practical Education to Develop Field-Oriented Skills, Knowledge, and Entrepreneurship Competencies
Last Year's Average Employment Rate 56%, Higher than Other Departments, Over Half Obtained at Least One National Technical Certification

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Specialized and Meister high schools supported through the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s ‘Green Technology Skilled Workforce Training Project’ are playing a significant role as training centers for Green New Deal professionals.

On the 2nd, Seoul announced that to nurture future talents who will lead ‘green industries’ such as renewable energy and green architecture, it annually supports 5 to 6 specialized and Meister high schools with related budgets, thereby indirectly supporting the production of field-oriented skilled workers.

Last year, the average employment rate of five schools (green departments) supported by Seoul was 56.0%, which was 22.4 percentage points higher than the employment rate of other departments (33.6%). Despite difficult circumstances such as the cancellation of certification exams due to COVID-19 and frequent changes in academic schedules reducing practical training hours, more than half (51%) of participating students obtained one or more national technical certifications, laying a foundation for employment.

Seoul supports practical education to produce field-oriented skilled workers equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge, and entrepreneurial capabilities for the field. Even in the challenging situation where face-to-face classes were drastically reduced due to COVID-19, the participating high schools last year tried various methods such as remote classes, small-scale field trips, and online practical training by teachers and students working together.

Seoul Electronics High School converted after-school classes to remote learning, where teachers and students jointly developed a workbook on how to use LED lighting design programs and practiced online from their homes. Semyung Computer High School conducted a small-scale field trip to the ‘Energy Dream Center,’ Korea’s first energy self-sufficient public building, strictly following quarantine guidelines, and independently held a ‘Skilled Workforce Training Project Exhibition’ showcasing products made by students. Seoul Technical High School visited a solar power plant to learn on-site about the process of generating electricity from solar energy, a renewable energy source.

This year, Seoul has newly established the ‘Visiting After-School Environmental School’ program, which connects participating high schools with private environmental education institutions beyond the existing budget support. Experts from educational institutions requested by schools visit the schools directly to provide education related to environment and energy, such as climate crisis and resource circulation, or arrange field trips for students to places like eco-friendly electric vehicle manufacturing plants.

Seoul is recruiting participating schools for this year’s ‘Green Technology Skilled Workforce Training Project’ via electronic official documents from the 4th to the 15th. In preparation for situations where field trips may be difficult due to ongoing social distancing caused by COVID-19, the city plans to require schools to include an ‘online utilization plan’ in their project proposals submitted this year.

Kim Yeon-ji, head of the Environmental Citizen Cooperation Division of Seoul, said, “We will support the training of professionals with practical field skills to respond to climate change and energy issues so that they can grow into talents leading the Green New Deal. Starting this year, through the ‘Visiting After-School Environmental School’ program, we will serve as a link connecting students with the educational institutions and field sites they desire.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.