Promotion of 'Sigong Myeongjang' Branding... Construction Worker Skill Grading System to be Implemented from the 27th

Construction Master Craftsman Development "Fair Treatment for Skilled Construction Workers"
Promoting Benefits Such as Interest Rate Discounts and Financial Fee Exemptions Linked to Skill Grading System

Notice on the Construction Worker Skill Grading System.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kangwook Cho] #. Construction worker A has site experience in rebar (16 years) and formwork carpentry (4 years), holds a rebar trade technician certification, and has a first-place record in a national competition. A applied for a skill grade issuance in the rebar trade and was awarded the ‘Special Grade (converted experience 22 years).’

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 25th that it has established the ‘Standards for Classification and Management of Construction Workers’ Skill Grades’ and will officially implement the ‘Construction Workers’ Skill Grade System’ starting from the 27th.

The ‘Construction Workers’ Skill Grade System,’ introduced to ensure that highly skilled construction workers receive fair treatment at construction sites, is a system that assigns skill grades corresponding to their experience. Since February 2018, the Ministry has operated a consultative body (TF) involving 22 organizations, including the construction industry, labor sector, related academia, and stakeholders, and through 16 meetings reflecting diverse opinions, this system was developed. Additionally, the skill grade was pilot-applied to over 10,000 workers belonging to 38 actual construction sites.

The Construction Workers’ Skill Grade System assigns four levels?Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Special Grade?based on converted experience, which comprehensively calculates objectively verified worker histories. The Construction Workers’ Mutual Aid Association, the entrusted agency for the skill grade system, compiles the histories and assigns the grades.

Converted experience is calculated by comprehensively considering objectively verified site work experience, qualifications, education, and award histories held by construction workers. Based on converted experience, less than 3 years is Beginner, 3 years or more is Intermediate, 9 years or more is Advanced, and 21 years or more is Special Grade.

Site work experience in the same trade as the one applied for the grade certificate issuance is recognized at 100%, while other experience is recognized at 50%. Certifications, completed education hours, and award histories are converted into years of experience according to separate standards and included in the converted experience.

Additionally, an education and training system will be implemented for construction workers who had to learn construction methods on-site without separate educational opportunities. This year, initial online education will be provided to all construction workers seeking skill grades, and starting from May next year, trade-specific promotion training will be gradually introduced for those scheduled for grade advancement. The initial education introduces the skill grade system and helps understand construction sites, and anyone can freely take it online (https://www.cw.or.kr/plus).

Promotion training is designed to secure the functional competencies required for each grade: Beginner to Intermediate and Intermediate to Advanced training will focus on practical skill-based education, while Advanced to Special Grade training will focus on management capabilities. The rollout will be phased considering trade-specific educational demand and conditions.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will also promote policies supporting employment stability and enhancing economic benefits to achieve the purpose of improving job quality for construction workers through the grade system.

First, related laws will be amended within this year to allow construction companies that employ skilled construction workers for more than six months to receive additional points in construction capability evaluations. Furthermore, public construction sites will be selected as pilot sites to verify the effects of improved construction quality through enhanced site management capabilities and the deployment of skilled workers, and based on the results, the role of construction workers will be expanded.

Alongside this, consultations with financial institutions are underway to expand economic benefits such as preferential interest rates and exemption of financial fees linked to the skill grade system, and plans are being made to grant educational qualifications so that high and special grade workers can serve as promotion training instructors.

In particular, in the long term, Special Grade construction workers will be branded as ‘Construction Masters’ to improve the construction industry as a promising occupation and foster a culture that favors high-grade construction workers.

Kim Kwangrim, Director of the Construction Industry Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, “The implementation of the Construction Workers’ Skill Grade System has laid the foundation for construction workers to grow into masters,” adding, “We expect not only improved treatment of construction workers but also enhanced competitiveness of the construction industry, including improved construction quality.”

Meanwhile, skill grade certificates can be issued through the Construction Workers’ Mutual Aid Association website (https://www.cw.or.kr/plus) or by visiting local branches and centers. The issuance fee for the skill grade certificate (2,000 KRW) will be waived until next year, reflecting the early stage of the system’s introduction.

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