'6 out of 10 Out-of-School Youth Employed' Tomorrow Irum School Trainee Recruitment

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Mr. A, who struggled to keep up with conversations and class progress due to slow development, dropped out of high school. Later, introduced by the Dream Dream Center, he participated in the ‘Naeil Irum School Korean Cuisine Cooking Technician Certification Course’ where he learned how to communicate while spending time with peers. For Mr. A, who was slow at cooking, the teachers at Naeil Irum School encouraged him by saying, “Learning properly is more important than doing it quickly,” and through a training program tailored to his learning ability, he was able to learn various cooking methods. Gaining confidence through the Naeil Irum Center, Mr. A went on to win the grand prize at the ‘Naeil Irum School Skills Competition.’

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced on the 7th that it will recruit 227 trainees for the 2023 academic year Naeil Irum School, which provides vocational training to out-of-school youth aged 15 to 24 to boost their self-esteem and enhance their independence capabilities.

Every year, about 50,000 youths leave school, and the rate of school dropouts, which had been declining due to COVID-19, is now increasing again. According to the ‘Out-of-School Youth Survey,’ the percentage of youths undecided about their career paths rose significantly from 25.0% in 2015 to 35.7% in 2021.

Out-of-school youth tend to have relatively less access to employment information or face unequal opportunities compared to youths enrolled in public education. Therefore, systematic support such as career exploration, capacity building, and employment assistance is necessary to prevent difficulties such as low wages and unstable temporary jobs from the early stages of social entry.

Naeil Irum School is a vocational training program designed to strengthen the social and economic independence capabilities of out-of-school youth who have dropped out by providing career guidance, preparation for certification acquisition, and customized training programs tailored to the trainees’ learning abilities.

Naeil Irum School trainees receive support in academic areas such as vocational training, certification acquisition, and preparation for the qualification exam over an average of nine months, and can receive a self-reliance incentive of up to 300,000 KRW per month depending on attendance.

Depending on regional conditions, trainees may reside in dormitories or receive up to 160,000 KRW per month for transportation and meal expenses, and even after the course ends, they receive follow-up management such as employment information and job placement support for six months.

Additionally, counselors assigned to each institution help youths adapt psychologically and emotionally during the initial training period, provide interpersonal skills improvement education, and guide regular lifestyle habits.

The employment rate of Naeil Irum School participants was 61.9%, an improvement of 2.1 percentage points compared to last year. Meanwhile, the dropout rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 16.6% compared to last year.

This year’s vocational training, conducted at 12 locations, includes digital training courses such as ‘Smart Video and Design Creator (Creator) Practical Work’ and ‘Big Data and YouTube-based Online Store (Smart Store) Production Course,’ as well as courses reflecting youths’ preferences and demands such as Korean cuisine chef, coffee expert, and pastry technician.

Youths wishing to participate can apply online through the Government 24 website (www.gov.kr) or apply by phone to the Out-of-School Youth Support Center ‘Dream Dream’ or the central operating agency ‘Korea Productivity Center’ website by referring to the ‘2023 Naeil Irum School Training Institutions.’

Lee Ki-soon, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, said, “Naeil Irum School is a social safety net that helps out-of-school youth communicate with their peers, develop social adaptation skills, and enhance their independence capabilities in a changing environment. I hope that out-of-school youth who have chosen the path of stepping into society first will develop their social and economic independence capabilities at Naeil Irum School and find ‘My job’ together with their peers to create a bright future.”

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