[Solutions for Regional SME Talent]① Building a Virtuous Cycle Connecting Local Education, Employment, and Settlement

On March 20, at the Geomedical factory located in Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, the product being manufactured was colored contact lenses. While employees in cleanroom suits busily moved about, an automated smart process was used to color the lenses. Machines handle the process of imprinting iris patterns, but people are responsible for operating and overseeing the equipment. As of March this year, about 360 employees work at this company. With the growing popularity of colored lenses, production volumes have increased, leading to proactive recruitment over the past two years and a workforce increase of approximately 30%. There were many challenges in expanding recruitment. Even when the expansion of facilities created a need for more personnel, it was not easy to find skilled workers who could be immediately deployed. This was because the influx of talent is much more limited compared to the Seoul metropolitan area. Furthermore, even when excellent personnel were recruited, retaining them for the long term was a separate challenge.

An employee is manufacturing color contact lenses at the Gmedical Gwangju Factory. Gmedical

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The solution that Geomedical found was local-based discovery and growth. CEO Park Youngjun said, "The labor shortage faced by regional SMEs is not simply a recruitment challenge; it is a structural issue intertwined with declining regional population and a weakening industrial base," adding, "Rather than relying solely on attracting external talent in such an environment, we have focused on directly discovering and nurturing talent within the region." To recruit talent locally, Geomedical runs an industry-academia customized class at a local specialized high school to train field-ready individuals. The company also collaborates with regional base universities such as local polytechnic colleges for recruitment. To secure skilled technical labor, it has also utilized the military service linkage system. CEO Park explained, "It is important to go beyond simply providing jobs and to create a foundation where young people in the region can design their futures here."

Geomedical also determined that it is difficult to retain employees with salary competitiveness alone, so it has gradually established a welfare system that supports employees' quality of life and immersion in their work. In addition to improving salary and reward systems, the company provides a staff cafeteria, commuter transportation, and job-related education. The aim is to create an environment where members can work for a long time by encompassing working conditions, living support, and organizational culture. CEO Park said, "Because the sustainability of the region is essential for the company’s own growth, we are improving both the working environment and welfare levels so that employees can settle down and live stably in the region."

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The case of Geomedical is significant in that it demonstrates a virtuous cycle in which local youth are educated in the region, find employment in local companies, and settle down stably. This is because the advancement of linkages between local educational institutions-such as vocational high schools, junior colleges, and universities-local governments, and SMEs can be a solution for attracting quality talent to regional SMEs.

Experts advise that, to this end, discussions should also include the activation of employment-linked industry-academia cooperation programs and the introduction of talent attraction incentive systems for regional innovation companies. Noh Minseon, a research fellow at the Korea Small Business Institute, said, "We need to institutionalize an integrated pathway that nurtures talent based on the needs of regional SMEs and connects field training, recruitment, and long-term employment," adding, "It is also necessary to strengthen incentives, such as supporting subscription to the Tomorrow Filling Deduction or providing settlement encouragement grants for young people who find employment at regional SMEs and remain on the job for a certain period."

[Solutions for Regional SME Talent]① Building a Virtuous Cycle Connecting Local Education, Employment, and Settlement

[Solutions for Regional SME Talent]② Designing ‘Work-Life Balance’...Change in Systems Over Money

[Solutions for Regional SME Talent]③ Utilizing Foreign Talent Is a Necessity, Not an Option

[Solutions for Regional SME Talent]④ Realistic Starting Point: Addressing the ‘Mismatch’

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