Selected 17 'Talent Development Universities' to Nurture SME Employees as Core Talent

A project to cultivate core talents in future promising fields such as semiconductors for employees and prospective hires of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be launched in earnest.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 2nd that 17 institutions were newly selected this year as 'SME Talent Development Universities.' The program is centered around future promising departments such as semiconductors, future mobility, smart manufacturing, and artificial intelligence (AI) to nurture talents in new technology and new industry fields.

The SME Contract Departments (12 universities) open degree programs at universities and support degree acquisition for current SME employees or prospective hires through a work-first-then-study program. The host universities receive operational costs for the departments (approximately 70 million KRW annually), and students receive partial tuition support (65-85%).

Through the Technical Cadet Host Universities (5 universities), a linked 4-year education program is conducted, including 2 years at vocational high schools and 2 years at junior colleges, to cultivate technical personnel required in SME workplaces.

The Technical Cadet Host Universities receive 320 million KRW annually for educational expenses, and students are supported with △ exclusive theoretical and technical education for technical cadets △ acquisition of industrial engineer certifications △ preferential recommendation for industrial technical personnel △ connection to SME employment, among other benefits.

Each university will design educational programs, build educational infrastructure, and recruit students to open and operate courses starting this September. Students, SMEs, and employees (or prospective hires) wishing to participate in the project can apply according to the recruitment guidelines of each host university.

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