Jeonnam Province, Local Governments, and Chosun Companies Join Hands to Resolve Workforce Shortage

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province, local governments, and companies in the Daebul Industrial Complex have joined hands to address the shortage of shipbuilding manpower.

On the 13th, the province held the "13th Jeonnam Shipbuilding and Maritime Workers' Day" at Mokpo National University’s New Marine Industrial Complex Campus and announced the adoption of a joint government petition to resolve the shortage of shipbuilding manpower.

More than 70 representatives of shipbuilding and maritime companies, workers, related organizations, and local government officials from the province attended.

The joint petition involved nine organizations and groups, including Jeonnam Province, Mokpo City, Haenam County, Yeongam County, the Daebul Industrial Complex Employers' Association, Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, Daehan Shipbuilding, and the cooperation councils of these two companies.

The petition items include ▲extension of designation of shipbuilding as a special employment industry and employment crisis area ▲increase in training allowances for shipbuilding skilled workers ▲simplification and improvement of procedures for the introduction of foreign workers ▲upgrading the Mokpo branch office of the Gwangju Immigration and Foreigners Office to a full office ▲designation of the southwestern Jeonnam industrial complex in the government’s large-scale industrial complex renovation project, totaling five items.

According to a survey by the Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Plant Association, the shipbuilding manpower shortage in Jeonnam is expected to be 1,219 people in 2022.

Accordingly, since September, Jeonnam Province has operated a "Shipbuilding Manpower Supply and Demand Support TF Team" consisting of 14 industry-academia-research-government organizations, and included measures to resolve the shipbuilding manpower shortage demanded on-site in this joint petition.

The province plans to deliver the jointly adopted petition, reflecting the regional consensus, to relevant central government ministries such as the Office for Government Policy Coordination, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Employment and Labor, and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and will continuously communicate and cooperate with the government to ensure the petition items are ultimately reflected in policies and improvements.

In addition, Jeonnam Province plans to significantly expand manpower supply support next year.

By linking government support projects such as youth employment special subsidies of up to 9 million won and training allowances for shipbuilding skilled workers, the province will nurture a total of 1,364 shipbuilding professionals next year and promote projects such as a shipbuilding-specialized job fair early next year.

At the event, commendations were also awarded to those who contributed to the development of the shipbuilding and maritime industry to encourage their hard work. Fourteen people, including Choi Hongsik, CEO of Shinwoo Industry Co., Ltd., and Cha Dongkwon, Deputy General Manager of Daesang Heavy Industries, received awards from the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy (4 people) and the Governor of Jeonnam Province (10 people).

Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, said, "The shipbuilding industry is a representative key industry responsible for the economy of the western Jeonnam region and is at a point of re-leap," adding, "We will strongly urge the government to ensure there are no disruptions in manpower supply next year through the joint petition."

He continued, "We will actively support at the provincial level so that the field regains vitality through the return of skilled workers who left and the influx of new manpower."

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