"SK Innovation Dreams of Female STEM Leaders" Opening Ceremony of K-Girls Day

SK Innovation Daejeon Environmental Science and Technology Institute exterior. Photo by SK Innovation

SK Innovation showcased its 'Carbon to Green' future technology sites to middle and high school female students aspiring to become future engineers.

On the 25th, SK Innovation held the opening ceremony of the 10th K-Girls' Day at the Daejeon Environmental Science and Technology Institute. About 40 participants attended the ceremony, including Min Byung-joo, President of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), Oh Seung-chul, Director of the Industrial Infrastructure Office at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Lee Sung-joon, Director of SK Innovation’s Environmental Science and Technology Institute, as well as representatives from participating organizations and students.

K-Girls' Day, hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Education and organized by KIAT, is a technology experience event designed to support middle and high school female students in pursuing STEM fields and entering industrial workplaces. Established in 2014 to address the gender imbalance in engineering fields, this year marks its 10th anniversary. Approximately 1,500 participating students will visit over 30 industrial sites nationwide from the 25th to the 31st of this month.

Students attending the opening ceremony toured SK Innovation’s Environmental Science and Technology Institute, the cradle of its research and development (R&D), experiencing future technologies such as lithium-ion battery separators (LiBS), a core material for electric vehicle batteries that contributes to safety. Afterwards, the students shared their concerns about pursuing STEM fields during mentoring sessions with Korean and Japanese university students who participated as mentors.

SK Innovation is leading the domestic refining industry in expanding female workforce and implementing related policies. From 2021 to 2023, the average hiring rate of female talents in SK Innovation’s R&D affiliates exceeded 50%. The company actively recommends talents to the female leader programs operated by SK Academy to nurture key female personnel.

Additionally, SK Innovation has been at the forefront of family-friendly management by providing in-house daycare centers at nationwide workplaces, Selective Work System 2.0, and reduced working hours during pregnancy and childcare periods, helping employees balance work and family life.

Min Byung-joo, President of KIAT, said, "In the era of global technological hegemony, securing talent to lead future advanced industries is becoming increasingly important. I hope the female students participating in K-Girls' Day will become female leaders who lead industrial technology sites in their respective fields in the near future."

Lee Sung-joon, Director of SK Innovation’s Environmental Science and Technology Institute, stated, "SK Innovation participated in K-Girls' Day to secure and nurture female talents who will lead the Carbon to Green strategic innovation. Through this event, we hope female students experience future technologies, develop interest in industrial sites, and lower the barriers to entering STEM fields."

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