Samsung Opens Hope Bridge Incheon Center, Completes Nationwide Network

20th Anniversary of New Management: Employee Donation Initiative
Supporting the Dreams and Futures of Young People Preparing for Independence
16 Centers Established Nationwide in 10 Years
Over 54,611 Beneficiaries of Independence and Job Training Programs
Vocational Training Provided for Young People Preparing for Independence
Leveraging Expertise and Educational Infrastructure of Samsung Affiliates
10 Vocational Training Programs Operated... 47.3% Employment Rate
Bridge Family Mentors Expanded to 100
Support for Daily Life, Career, and Academic Counseling
Model Case of Public-Private Cooperation... Awarded Presidential Citation

On December 11, Samsung held a ceremony at the Bupyeong-gu Youth Center in Incheon to mark the opening of the Incheon Center, the 16th branch of the Hope Bridge initiative, and to celebrate its 10th anniversary. With this, Samsung has completed its nationwide Hope Bridge residential support network, which began in 2015 with the launch of the Busan Center, in just 10 years.

A view of the Samsung Hope Bridge Incheon Center located in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon. Samsung Electronics

The event, attended by over 200 participants, was held under the theme "A Warm Journey Together, 10 Years of Hope Bridge."

Lee Seuran, First Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, praised Hope Bridge as "one of the leading examples of private sector self-reliance support projects, which has greatly helped young people preparing for independence to settle stably in society." Kwon Changjun, Vice Minister of Employment and Labor, delivered a congratulatory video message, saying, "I hope that the foundation of hope built by the public and private sectors together will continue to be a solid stepping stone for young people preparing for independence." Park Seunghee, Executive Vice President of Corporate Relations at Samsung Electronics, stated, "Self-reliance is achieved when practical support for housing, education, and employment is added to the potential of young people, along with strong support from those around them. Hope Bridge has been creating such change."

The event showcased the records of Hope Bridge's 10-year journey, the growth stories of young people who realized their dreams through the program, the completion of the nationwide "Hope Bridge 1.0" network with the opening of the Incheon Center, and the project's future vision and achievements.

Hope Bridge is one of Samsung's flagship social contribution initiatives, launched with ideas and donations from Samsung Electronics employees to mark the 20th anniversary of the "Samsung New Management" declaration. The name "Hope Bridge" was also created by the employees themselves.

Over the past 10 years, Samsung has supported 54,611 young people preparing for independence with residential support, self-reliance education, and practical experience through the centers, as well as job training. This has been achieved through a network of 16 centers in 13 regions nationwide. The centers serve not only as "living spaces" but also as safe environments where young people can learn essential life skills and wisdom. Training includes daily life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and organizing, basic financial education such as financial literacy and asset management, as well as career counseling and job placement-comprehensive education necessary for independence.

Since 2023, Samsung has also been running the "Hope Bridge 2.0" program, which supports young people preparing for independence to build technical and practical skills for economic self-reliance. This initiative was launched based on surveys and interviews with young residents and staff at Hope Bridge centers across the country, which found that job and career planning education was most needed for economic independence.

The Hope Bridge 2.0 vocational training program leverages the expertise and educational infrastructure of Samsung affiliates such as Samsung Electronics, Samsung C&T, Wellstory, and Cheil Worldwide to enhance the professionalism and capabilities of young people preparing for independence. Training areas include electronics/IT manufacturing, shipbuilding, baking and pastry, semiconductor precision piping, online advertising and PR, heavy equipment operation, pet grooming, nail art, software development, and HVAC technology. Samsung provides single-occupancy accommodations and meals at the Samsung Electronics Human Resources Development Center and Samsung Heavy Industries Technical Training Center, allowing participants to focus fully on their training.

Over the past three years, 241 young people under the age of 34 have participated in the vocational training program, and of the 167 graduates, 79 (47.3%) have secured employment at their desired companies. The Hope Bridge 2.0 vocational training program continues to be updated to reflect the needs of young people preparing for independence.

In addition, Samsung operates a variety of employment support programs, such as job fairs with partner companies, career lectures by experts, and one-on-one personalized counseling with professional employment consultants after the completion of training. There are also various programs to support the psychological and emotional well-being of young people preparing for independence. The "Bridge Family" campaign, launched in 2022, is a mentoring program in which Samsung Electronics employees provide guidance to young people preparing for independence. All participating employee volunteers are certified professionals, with credentials such as coaching and counseling certifications.

Starting with 30 Samsung Electronics employees, the Bridge Family program expanded this year to include employees from all Samsung affiliates, and currently, a total of 270 pairs are engaged in mentoring relationships. As of last year, there had been a cumulative total of 1,343 mentoring sessions, with each pair averaging 9.2 sessions, and 92.7% of young participants expressing satisfaction. Other programs include running clubs and arts and culture experiences, which allow young people preparing for independence to gain a sense of achievement in everyday life.

Beginning this year, Samsung has also launched the "Career Coaching Camp for Pre-Independent Youth," strengthening the support system so that young people can prepare for independence proactively even before leaving care. Pre-independent youth can receive career coaching and job preparation training in advance, and experience independent living at Hope Bridge centers to prepare for life after care.

On December 8, Samsung Electronics was awarded the Presidential Citation at the 5th Korea Good Giving Awards in recognition of its systematic support for children and youth leaving care through the Hope Bridge initiative. The Korea Good Giving Awards recognize companies, organizations, and individuals who have consistently engaged in charitable activities across various sectors, aiming to promote a culture of solidarity and consideration in society and to encourage charitable giving.

Kim Sungkyung, former professor of social welfare at Korea Bible University and an advisory board member for the Samsung Hope Bridge project, highly praised the initiative, saying, "The Hope Bridge project is a groundbreaking program that supports young people preparing for independence at every stage, from the protection phase to the post-care phase and the journey to becoming self-reliant adults."

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