Siheung City Achieves Grand Prize for 'Youth Engineer Development Project' as Outstanding Administration Case Nationwide

Siheung City's Youth Engineer Development Model Gains National Attention
Recognition for Achievements in Region-Based Youth Employment and Settlement Model

Siheung City in Gyeonggi Province announced that its 'Youth Engineer Development Project' was selected as an outstanding example at the '2026 Excellent Administration and Policy Case Selection Contest' and received the Grand Prize on May 14.

Scenic View of Siheung City Hall. Provided by Siheung City

The 'Excellent Administration and Policy Case Selection Contest' is a nationwide policy evaluation competition hosted annually by the Korea Association for Public Policy Evaluation. The contest identifies innovative administrative and policy cases from central government agencies, local governments, and public institutions, and selects outstanding examples through a review by academic and field experts.

This year, a total of 167 cases were submitted from across the country. Through a three-stage final review, Siheung City's 'Youth Engineer Development Project' was awarded the Grand Prize in the local government (city) category.

The 'Youth Engineer Development Project' is a joint initiative by Siheung City and the Gyeonggi Job Foundation, designed to address the chronic manpower shortages in the local manufacturing industry and to establish a foundation for the growth of young talent. In particular, it was highly praised as the nation's first comprehensive all-stage model that organically links local high schools, local universities, and local companies, enabling young people to learn, find employment, and settle stably in their region.

Through this project, the city has expanded employment opportunities for local youth and contributed to alleviating companies' labor shortages. It is also building a sustainable job policy model that connects employment with post-graduation settlement in the region.

This latest award is especially meaningful as it follows the recognition received last November, when the project won the Korea Local Administration Research Institute Director's Award in the Economy and Employment category at the '2025 Local Government Content Awards.' The city explained that the project has proven its effectiveness, achieving a 209% increase in employment matching rates and doubling the number of participating companies within just over a year of implementation.

Park Seungsam, Acting Mayor of Siheung City, stated, "This award recognizes the excellence of Siheung City's youth talent development policy as a structural model that goes beyond employment support to connect with local settlement. We will continue to actively discover and promote sustainable, regionally based job policies that enable local industries and young people to grow together."

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