Curriculum Enhancement... Busan Office of Education Establishes 'Mid-term Development Plan for Vocational High Schools'

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Duyul] The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education has established the "Busan Vocational High School Mid-term Development Plan (2023?2025)" to enhance the curriculum of vocational high schools and respond to workforce demand changes due to industrial structure shifts.

The plan aims to cultivate skilled technical talents with basic vocational competencies and sound character, and to provide students with opportunities to choose careers suited to their aptitudes through thorough career guidance.

To develop this plan, the Busan Office of Education went through processes including forming a TF, consulting the Vocational Education Development Council, gathering opinions from school field stakeholders, conducting a survey on vocational education development targeting all vocational high schools, and holding internal review meetings.

This plan, spanning three years, seeks a new leap and transformation in vocational education through three areas: ▲Vocational Education Together Today ▲Vocational Education Growing Tomorrow ▲Vocational Education Preparing for the Future, consisting of eight policy tasks and 21 detailed implementation tasks.

"Vocational Education Together Today" includes tasks such as improving class conditions through space innovation and modernization of facilities and equipment in vocational high schools, and strengthening teachers' instructional capabilities to enhance students' basic vocational skills and field-oriented practical competencies.

In particular, the plan expands NCS-based course assessment qualification curricula and activates project-based classes to enhance creative problem-solving skills necessary in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era.

"Vocational Education Growing Tomorrow" involves converting departments with low admission support rates for new students into promising new industry fields such as aerospace, semiconductors, and e-sports to prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and changes in regional industrial demand.

Additionally, various programs to promote character education and self-esteem at individual schools will be operated, and active career guidance will be provided from the new student stage to ensure no student is left behind in career support.

Support for securing teachers with practical field skills, continuous professional subject training at different career stages, small-group autonomous training to strengthen industrial field expertise, and mentoring training for new teachers will also be enhanced to improve teachers' field relevance and professionalism.

Busan Office of Education.

"Vocational Education Preparing for the Future" includes the solid operation of the "Vocational Education Innovation District," involving the education office, local governments, related organizations, and regional industries, focusing on ▲activation of high school graduate employment ▲expansion of global field training ▲strengthening support for vocational high school student startups ▲and solid operation of government ministry support projects.

The plan aims to create conditions for students to find employment and settle in the region, improve awareness of vocational education through performance management and promotion of excellent cases.

The Busan Office of Education plans to increase the proportion of students achieving level 3 or higher in basic vocational skills from 52% to 65%, the new student enrollment rate from 97% to 100%, and the employment rate from 55.5% to over 70% through this plan.

Additionally, the target outcomes include reducing the proportion of students without career choices from 20% to below 10%, and lowering the dropout rate from 3.2% to below 2%.

On the morning of the 30th at 10 a.m., the education office announced the Busan Metropolitan Vocational High School Mid-term Development Plan (2023?2025) at the Busan Park Hyatt Hotel during the "2023 Employment Competency Enhancement Workshop," attended by over 160 principals, vice principals, and department heads from 38 vocational high schools.

Based on this plan, these schools will establish their individual mid-term development plans by the end of February.

Ha Yoon-su, Superintendent of Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, said, "This plan was established to cultivate talents with character, basic vocational skills, and field-oriented practical competencies in preparation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and changes in the regional industrial structure. We will implement the plan thoroughly to create conditions where our students can find employment and settle in the local community."

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