LG Electronics Supports African Youth Independence... Shares 'Vocational Training School' Know-How with Somalia

MOU Signed with UNDP for Technical Training Cooperation for Somali Youth
Support Includes Curriculum Development, Instructor Training, and Job Placement Assistance

LG Electronics is strengthening its global corporate social responsibility by transferring the operational know-how and educational curriculum accumulated over more than a decade at its vocational training school in Ethiopia to neighboring Somalia.

LG Electronics signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for ‘Youth Technical Training Cooperation in Somalia’ at the LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From left to right: Park Wankyu, Head of KOICA Kenya Office; Yang Seunghwan, Head of LG Electronics Ethiopia Branch; Lionel Lawrence, UNDP Somalia Regional Representative. LG Electronics

On May 19, LG Electronics announced that it has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for ‘Technical Training Cooperation for Somali Youth’ with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the LG-KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) Hope Vocational Training School located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. KOICA also attended the signing ceremony.

According to this agreement, LG Electronics will transfer the LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School's curriculum and operational know-how to a new vocational training school currently being established in Somalia by UNDP and KOICA. To facilitate the transfer of expertise—including curriculum and operations manual development, graduate job placement support, selection of educational tools and testing products—LG Electronics will provide training for instructors who will work in Somalia, as well as opportunities to benchmark the operational system of the LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School.

The LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School in Ethiopia has been in operation since 2014, offering free education in the fields of electronics and IT to support the self-reliance of local youth. All 611 graduates to date have entered society through employment or entrepreneurship.

LG Electronics will transfer the curriculum and operational know-how of the LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School to neighboring Somalia. The photo shows students of the LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School in Ethiopia receiving education on home appliances. Photo by LG Electronics

LG Electronics offers outstanding graduates the opportunity to participate in internship programs at LG Electronics Middle East & Africa Service Company, with the possibility of full-time employment. For students aspiring to start their own businesses, the school’s startup support center provides practical training and mentoring in areas such as legal affairs, marketing, and business management. In recognition of these achievements and efforts, the school was selected as an exemplary case of vocational training by the Ethiopian government in 2020.

Yang Seunghwan, Head of LG Electronics Ethiopia Branch, stated, “By sharing the successful experience gained from operating the LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School in Ethiopia for over ten years with Somalia, we aim to support the self-reliance of African youth and fulfill our responsibilities as a global corporate citizen.”

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