40,000 Young Adults Attend Samsung Classes and Land Jobs... 8th Cohort Graduates from SW Academy

Graduation Ceremony of 8th Class at Gangnam SSAFY Seoul Campus on 16th
Over 4,000 Cumulative Employment... Employment Rate 84%
Employment at Samsung, Naver, Kakao, LG Electronics, Hyundai Mobis, etc.

Samsung has produced the 8th graduating class of its flagship youth work and experience program, the Samsung Software Academy For Youth (SSAFY).

On the 16th, Samsung held the 8th graduation ceremony at the SSAFY Seoul Campus in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The event was attended by 100 representatives of the 8th graduating class and 10 family members, while 730 graduates from five campuses nationwide participated online. Vice Minister Kwon Ki-seop of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Kim Hyung-dong of the People Power Party, Han Jun-ho of the Democratic Party, Ryu Ho-jeong of the Justice Party, and Park Seung-hee, President of Samsung Electronics CR, also attended.

Vice Minister Kwon said, "Among the awardees, there are also majors in physical education and literature," adding, "It will be a great motivation for non-IT major youth to challenge themselves in IT employment." Representative Kim said, "As the Chair of the Labor Committee of the People Power Party, I will take the lead in creating quality youth jobs and resolving the dual structure of the labor market."

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong has visited the SSAFY education site five times. When he visited the Seoul campus in 2019, he said, "Nurturing software talent is essential to expanding the IT ecosystem base, and even if it is difficult, we must plant the seeds now for the future," urging, "Let's all challenge ourselves to realize bigger dreams."

Students of the 8th class at the 'SSAFY Bu-Ul-Gyeong Campus' in Busan Metropolitan City are taking a commemorative photo ahead of their graduation ceremony.
[Photo by Samsung Electronics]

SSAFY is part of Samsung's 2018 announced "Economic Revitalization and Job Creation Plan." It is a social contribution activity aimed at enhancing youth employment competitiveness. Up to the 7th class, the cumulative number of employed graduates is 3,979, with an employment rate of about 84%. Including the early-employed 8th class graduates, the cumulative number of employed exceeds 4,000.

Graduates have been employed as software developers at major companies such as Naver, Kakao, Hyundai Mobis, SK C&C, LG Electronics, KT, Shinsegae I&C, and Kurly. Including employment at commercial banks such as Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank, Hana Bank, Woori Bank, as well as companies in Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore, the total number of companies employing graduates is 997.

Companies giving preferential hiring treatment to SSAFY graduates are also increasing. While about 20 companies gave preferential treatment to 1st class graduates during the hiring process, now there are over 150. They exempt candidates from document screening and coding tests or give extra points during document screening.

Employment in the financial sector is active. Among SSAFY graduates from classes 1 to 7 and early-employed 8th class trainees, 335 have been employed at major banks such as Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank, NH Nonghyup Bank, and Daegu Bank. The total number of employees in the domestic financial sector is 726. Shinhan Bank President Jung Sang-hyuk said, "The number of SSAFY alumni at Shinhan Bank is increasing every year, and they are highly regarded for their excellence," adding, "We will continue to recruit future talent through special SSAFY recruitment and closely collaborate with SSAFY."

Cases of employment at startups are also increasing. A total of 41 graduates from classes 1 to 7 have been employed at 17 companies participating in Samsung's external venture support program, C-Lab Outside.

Graduates of the 8th class at 'SSAFY Gwangju Campus' in Gwangju Metropolitan City are taking a commemorative photo ahead of their graduation ceremony.
[Photo by Samsung Electronics]

A strong mentoring system is a distinctive feature. About 70 Samsung employees participate as online mentors on a regular basis. The mentors listen to trainees' concerns about assignments and provide advice. Employees from companies outside Samsung, such as Naver, Nexon, LG Uplus, and Shinhan Bank, also collaborate with SSAFY trainees on corporate-linked projects. When a company proposes a basic software development project related to its business, trainees form teams, receive mentoring, and participate in software program development and code design. Up to the 8th class, 17 companies outside Samsung have participated in projects at least once.

SSAFY operates twice a year, accepting 1,150 trainees per session. It provides 1,600 hours of training over one year, eight hours a day. The program trains software developers equipped with skills ready for immediate deployment in companies. This year, the 9th class trainees who joined in January are being trained. The selection process for the 10th class is underway, and training will begin next month. There are five campuses in total: Seoul, Daejeon, Gwangju, Busan, and Gumi in North Gyeongsang Province. Tuition is free. All trainees receive a monthly training support stipend of 1 million KRW. Job fairs and company briefings are held. The Employment Support Center provides ongoing career counseling, interview consulting, and job information.

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