Junggu Printing Smart Factory Social Venture Established Selected for Seoul City 2023 Job Creation Contest

Injection of Young Workforce into Seoul Jung-gu's Printing Industry, Support for New Product Creation and Sales... Fostering Young Printing Creators and Promoting Establishment and Certification of Social Venture Companies

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jung-gu (District Mayor Kim Gilsung) has secured 150 million KRW in city funds after being selected for the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s ‘2023 City-District Upward and Cooperative Job Creation Contest’ for the second consecutive year.

The project titled ‘Establishment of Jung-gu Printing Smart Factory Social Venture,’ which aims to bring a wave of change to the printing industry by deploying young talent, was honored with the selection.

The printing industry, with 60% of Seoul-based printing companies concentrated in Jung-gu, represents a core urban manufacturing sector for the district. However, it faces various challenges such as small-scale operations, poor manufacturing environments, and an aging workforce.

To overcome these issues and enhance the competitiveness of the printing industry by transforming it into a high value-added sector, Jung-gu and the social cooperative Pine Tree (project executing organization) focused on nurturing young talent.

They identified 15 young professionals active in printing planning fields, including local printing workers and experienced designers, directly hired them, and supported their specialized training related to printing and publishing. Furthermore, they promoted product development through collaboration with local printing producers.

Since the second half of this year, results have begun to emerge. The young participants developed a ‘specialized training course necessary for printing workforce development,’ sold it to the Western Women’s New Employment Center, and generated their first revenue.

From October, each participant has been planning and designing products to sell through crowdfunding. The main products include stationery, independent publications, and paper DIY printing kits. They are also planning products jointly with the local cooperative for people with developmental disabilities, utilizing artwork created by individuals with developmental disabilities.

Additionally, since May, Jung-gu has been promoting the establishment of an online platform called ‘Jung-gu Printing Smart Factory.’ This platform will facilitate not only the development and sales of youth products but also the creation of local brand products, playing a significant role in future revenue generation.

In 2023, the plan is to continue hiring new personnel and conducting specialized training to sustain printing education content and printing product manufacturing. The ultimate goal is to pursue social venture certification, reflecting the nature of a social enterprise.

District Mayor Kim Gilsung stated, “Jung-gu is rich in human and material resources,” and added, “Young people will gain employment, and the printing industry will regain vitality. Going forward, the district office, educational institutions, and small business owners will unite with one heart and effort.”

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