SJ Power and Chungnam Office of Education Explore Career Improvement Plans for People with Disabilities

SJ Power Production Site, Employing 12 People with Developmental Disabilities, Visited by Education Office Officials to Assess Working Conditions and Discuss Cooperation Measures

Chungnam Office of Education's Superintendent Yu Yang-sook (center left) and SJ Power CEO Shin Hang-chul (center right) visiting the production site

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] SJ Power (CEO Shin Hang-cheol), which operates a mask manufacturing factory in Jeonui-myeon, Sejong City, was visited by officials from the Chungnam Provincial Office of Education and others to assess the employment status of people with disabilities, listen to difficulties, and seek desirable win-win cooperation plans between companies and educational institutions for people with disabilities in the future.

The visit took place with the attendance of Yu Yang-sook, a scholarship officer from the Chungnam Provincial Office of Education, scholarship officers from the Cheonan Education Support Office, teachers from Inaeh School, officials from the Chungnam Developmental Disabilities Training Center, and Shin Hang-cheol, CEO of SJ Power, which produces masks (Singgeurami).

Since July, the company signed an MOU with the special school Cheonan Inaeh School for employment, and from September, hired 12 graduates with developmental disabilities who participated in mask production, providing employment opportunities. This initiative led to the company being selected as an excellent visited business.

The Chungnam Office of Education directly visited frontline industrial sites to check education and on-site operation status regarding safety, human rights, sexual harassment prevention, and COVID-19 response that special school graduates may experience as they take their first steps into society through employment. They also sought improvement tasks, promotion directions, and support alternatives for special education policies to establish a desirable role model between companies and special education graduates to help them successfully settle as members of society after graduation.

Yu Yang-sook, the scholarship officer who toured the production site and rest areas throughout the factory, said, “Seeing the frontline site directly, contrary to concerns, this is a suitable workplace for special school graduates, where they work with hope in a safe and pleasant environment. The hiring process through the MOU with the special school promoted by this company will become a model case in the future.” She added, “Especially, I deeply appreciate CEO Shin’s efforts to dispel prejudice against people with disabilities, provide practical training opportunities, and expand hiring.”

CEO Shin Hang-cheol responded, “I want to show that friends with disabilities can produce good products with work ability comparable to non-disabled people if provided with customized jobs. We will continue to do our best to increase job opportunities for socially vulnerable groups and become a company that builds a society where everyone lives together.”

The proposals discussed and agreed upon that day included first requesting support for operating a ‘customized talent development education program’ through pre-education suitable for companies so that special schools and companies can sign MOUs to nurture disabled talents needed by companies and enable graduates to work immediately on-site.

Additionally, they proposed easing the enrollment conditions for the ‘Youth Tomorrow Savings Program (Ministry of Employment and Labor)’ to encourage work motivation and long-term employment for newly employed youth by reducing the required working hours from 6 hours per day (30 hours per week) to 4 hours per day, considering the special working conditions of people with developmental disabilities. They agreed to request relevant authorities to improve and implement this.

Although SJ Power is a latecomer in mask production, its ‘Singgeurami mask,’ made with 100% domestic raw materials and a thorough hygienic production system, is recognized as an excellent product by consumers and has received great response, including complete sales on a major home shopping channel.

Moreover, the company has donated over 500,000 masks in a relay to various marginalized groups in society such as senior welfare centers, traditional market merchants, and foreign workers. Recently, donations have extended overseas to Myanmar, and exports are steadily expanding to countries like Malaysia and Vietnam, contributing to widely promoting the excellence of K-quarantine products worldwide, drawing attention to its growth.

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