Expanding Employment for Career-Interrupted Women... Temporary Relaxation of Requirements for 'Saeil Women Internship Program'

Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Improves Support System Through Saeil Center

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Employment support services for employed women and women with career interruptions facing employment crises due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) will be strengthened.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced on the 28th that it will improve the system to support Saeil Women Interns and vocational training courses through the Women New Employment Center.

To expand employment opportunities for women with career interruptions, the participation requirements for the "Saeil Women Intern Project," which provides financial support to companies and women for a certain period when hiring women with career interruptions as interns, will be temporarily relaxed. Until now, the size of companies eligible to participate in the intern project was limited to those with 5 to fewer than 1,000 regular employees, making it difficult for small businesses to participate. However, for the time being, companies with fewer than 5 regular employees that are enrolled in the four major social insurance programs will also be eligible to participate.

In the future, women who receive employment support services such as job counseling at the Saeil Center will be able to receive Saeil Women Intern support funds even if they are hired directly by companies as interns without going through the linkage procedure.

Vocational education and training conducted at the Saeil Center will be converted to online training methods or operated in parallel with group training, and on-site training will resume after transitioning to a living quarantine system. In the second half of the year, plans are in place to further expand online education courses.

After COVID-19, women facing issues such as childcare or risk of dismissal can receive services such as 1:1 labor consultation requests and emergency childcare support agency linkage through the Saeil Center's main phone line or website.