"Work-Study Parallel System Led by Companies... High Performance Among Talent Development Projects"

Ministry of Employment, HRD Korea, and KPC Hold 1st Anniversary Seminar on Work-Learning Dual System
September 'Skills Month'... Government, Academia, and Industry Gather to Discuss Work-Learning Dual System

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] As the government presented the 'National Lifelong Vocational Competency Development Support Plan' as one of the three major employment and social safety net policies, claims have emerged that the Work-Learning Dual System project shows higher performance compared to other talent development projects.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that a discussion on this topic took place at the '2021 Work-Learning Dual System Seminar' held on the 14th at COEX, Seoul, in collaboration with the Human Resources Development Service of Korea and the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training. The discussion theme was 'Achievements and Improvement Tasks One Year After the Enforcement of the Work-Learning Dual System Act.'

Hong Gwangpyo, Associate Research Fellow at the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, stated, "Unlike other law-based projects centered on vocational education and training institutions, the Work-Learning Dual System is led by companies," and evaluated that "policy outcomes are significantly higher compared to similar talent development projects." He argued, "To increase support from outstanding talent, flexible operational plans tailored to company characteristics should be considered, highlighting the system as a key government talent supply policy."

Suggestions to enhance the effectiveness of the Work-Learning Dual System project were also presented. Jo Jung-yoon, Director of the International Employment Development Institute, said, "The Work-Learning Dual System is a system that closely links labor market demands and qualifications," adding, "Considering future value, if preferential qualification policies are implemented, its utilization will increase."

There was also a call to develop a learning model that can be accessed even after completing the Work-Learning Dual System process. Son Gyutae, Associate Research Fellow at the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, emphasized, "Since participants in the Work-Learning Dual System need to continuously develop their job skills, demands for 'post-learning' are emerging," and stressed, "To this end, an analysis of post-learning demands by region and training field should be conducted first."

Oh Su-bong, Director of the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, said, "We will actively reflect the tasks derived from the seminar to provide high-quality services to customers in the future and strive to ensure that the law is firmly established in the field." Ryu Jang-su, President of the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, said, "On the first anniversary of the enforcement of the Work-Learning Dual System Act, I hope this serves as an opportunity to review the law’s achievements and derive key policy tasks for the sustainable growth of the Work-Learning Dual System."

The Work-Learning Dual System project has been implemented since 2014. As of the end of July, about 17,000 learning companies and 110,000 learning workers participated. The Work-Learning Dual System Act was enacted on August 27, 2019, and has been in effect since August 28 of last year. The law was created to stably support learning companies and protect learning workers.

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