Youngjin College of Technology AI Convergence Machinery Department to Recruit 275 Associate Degree and 40 Advanced Bachelor's Degree Students

353 Hired by Major Corporations Over Three Years
"Fostering Highly Skilled Talent in Advanced Technology"

The AI Convergence Mechanical Department at Youngjin College of Technology (President: Choi Jaeyoung) is the only department among Korean technical colleges to offer all three levels of programs-Associate Degree, Advanced Bachelor's (Major Intensification), and Professional Master's-under a single department. This unique structure is accelerating the cultivation of talent equipped with cutting-edge technological convergence skills.

This department, which was the first in the nation to introduce customized order-based education, has achieved an employment rate of 80.33% (based on February 2024 graduates, according to the college's own statistics), establishing itself as the standard for vocational education leading new industries and technologies.

Scene of AI Convergence Machinery Department Collaborative Robot Control Practice at Youngjin College.

For the 2026 academic year, the AI Convergence Mechanical Department will admit 275 students to the associate degree program and 40 students to the advanced bachelor's program (Department of Mechanical Engineering).

In line with the Digital Transformation, the department offers specialized education subdivided into Smart Mechanical Design (3D CAD, 3D Printing, Reverse Engineering), Smart CAD/CAM (Advanced Machining and Manufacturing), Robotic Automation (Intelligent Robots and Smart Factories), and Energy Chemical Plant (Energy Equipment Installation and Operation).

The department is strengthening practical, hands-on education in new technology fields such as 3D printing, robotics, digital twin, future vehicle components, and CAD/CAM, and is actively conducting on-site training and practical projects in partnership with companies affiliated with each major.

New students complete core courses common to the department during their first semester, and from the second semester onward, they choose a major or a customized order-based track, receiving practical education tailored to their chosen field until graduation through the "Major Course System."

The AI Convergence Mechanical Department has been producing field-ready technical professionals by pioneering order-based education and collaborating with a wide range of domestic and international companies.

Starting with a partnership with Samsung Electronics in 2010 to train mold design specialists, the department has signed industry-academia cooperation and order-based education agreements with companies such as Doosan Infracore, Doosan Heavy Industries, LG Display, LG Electronics, Kyungdong Navien Group, DN Solutions, STX Shipbuilding, and Doosan Robotics.

Thanks to these industry-academia partnerships, the department has achieved remarkable employment results, especially with large corporations. Of the 384 graduates who found employment in 2024, 105 (about 27%) joined large companies.

Over the past three years, 353 graduates have been employed by major corporations. Specifically, 83 joined LG Group, 24 joined SK Group, 15 joined Samsung Group, 12 joined Kolon Group, 14 joined Hanwha Group (including Hanwha Aerospace and LIG Nex1), and 16 joined POSCO Group, highlighting the department's outstanding record of placing graduates in leading Korean companies.

Additionally, the Japan Employment Track, which has been in operation since 2016, achieved a 100% employment rate in Japan for five consecutive years, with 51 graduates joining Japanese companies over the past three years.

The AI Convergence Mechanical Department has been selected for the Ministry of Education's "Innovative Convergence University for Advanced Fields (Intelligent Robotics)" and the RISE (Regional Innovation-centered University Support System) projects. It is emerging as a pioneer in training specialized technical professionals in the machinery field, covering not only the five major future industries in Daegu, such as the robotics industry, but also traditional sectors like automotive parts.

By being selected for both the Ministry of Education's Innovative Convergence University for Advanced Fields (Intelligent Robotics) and the RISE project, the department has established itself as a hub for training specialized technical talent in machinery, spanning Daegu's five major future industries as well as traditional sectors like automotive parts.

In particular, the department was chosen as the only mechanical field in Daegu and Gyeongbuk for the "Meister University Pilot Project," and will admit 20 students as the fifth cohort for the Professional Master's in Precision Mechanical Engineering in the 2026 academic year.

Practical training scene of 5-axis machining based on digital twin in the AI Convergence Mechanical Department at Youngjin College of Technology.

Meanwhile, the "Innovative Convergence University for Advanced Fields" project in the intelligent robotics field is jointly operated with Hanyang University (ERICA), Kwangwoon University, Sangmyung University, Pukyong National University, Chosun University, and Korea Polytechnic University, providing joint degrees and integrated educational programs.

Ahn Sangwook, Head (Professor) of the AI Convergence Mechanical Department, stated, "By establishing a complete system of associate degree, advanced bachelor's, and professional master's programs based on order-based education and industry-academia cooperation, we are now able to provide job-centered competency education optimized for the demands of future industries." He added, "We will expand the value chain of mechanical departments to universities nationwide by fostering highly skilled technical professionals, strengthening step-by-step connections in vocational education, and developing systematic competencies."

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