"Training Young AI Talent" Launch of KT Able School 1st Cohort

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] The first cohort of 'KT AIVLE School,' a program designed to cultivate future practical talents equipped with new technology capabilities such as artificial intelligence (AI), has launched.

On the 13th, KT announced that it held an online entrance ceremony at its Bundang headquarters with the first cohort of KT AIVLE School trainees participating via video conference, officially starting the training program.

KT AIVLE School is a youth AI talent development program sponsored by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and operated by KT to enhance young people's employment competitiveness and create jobs in new industry sectors. Trainees were recruited nationwide from unemployed individuals under 29 years old who graduated or are expected to graduate from four-year universities. Final selections were made through document screening, aptitude tests, and coding tests.

The first cohort will receive a total of 840 hours of intensive training over six months, eight hours a day, free of charge, until mid-May 2022. Theoretical and basic education is primarily conducted online, while face-to-face training is combined during the project practice phase. KT has established training centers at KT regional headquarters located in the metropolitan area as well as in Daejeon, Gwangju, Busan, and Daegu, allowing trainees nationwide to conveniently participate in training at their preferred locations.

The training is divided into two tracks: the ‘AI Developer Track,’ which cultivates AI service developers, and the ‘DX Consultant Track,’ which leads the digital industry. To develop practical skills that can be immediately applied in the workplace, AI experts within the KT Group directly designed the curriculum, and current professionals serve as project instructors to provide in-depth coaching.

One trainee attending the entrance ceremony said, “Although I participated in short-term projects at school, there was a limitation in terms of practical experience,” adding, “Through KT AIVLE School, I am excited to work directly on projects conducted by companies using industry datasets that are difficult to access and receive professional coaching from current industry employees.”

KT AIVLE School offers trainees the opportunity to obtain the private certification ‘AIFB (AI Fundamentals for Business),’ which assesses AI practical skills. Trainees who complete the program with excellent grades receive preferential hiring benefits such as KT conversion internships and recruitment linkage with group companies. Additionally, KT plans to enhance the quality of the talent development program by utilizing resources from a broader digital ecosystem like AI One Team and to make recruitment connections more active.

KT CEO Koo Hyun-mo said in his congratulatory speech, “We are pleased to actively open KT Group’s know-how and infrastructure for nurturing future talents to Korean youth and to directly contribute to helping young people realize their dreams in the IT field,” adding, “I hope KT AIVLE School becomes the starting point for young people to grow into top experts in Korea’s ICT sector.”

Minister of Employment and Labor Ahn Kyung-duk conveyed in a video message, “The government will provide multifaceted support and backing to ensure that company-led job training and work experience programs continue to expand.”

Meanwhile, KT is the first company to participate in the government’s ‘Youth Hope ON’ project, which aims to enhance young people’s employment competitiveness. Starting with the first cohort of KT AIVLE School this year, KT plans to nurture a total of 3,600 future talents over three years.

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