Ministry of SMEs and Startups Supports Job Matching for Smart Manufacturing SMEs... "Fostering Skilled Workforce"

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 1st that it is recruiting small and medium-sized enterprises and job seekers to participate in the "Smart Manufacturing Enterprise Job Package Support Project." The photo shows smart factory equipment introduced by a company. Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 1st that it is recruiting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and job seekers to participate in the 'Smart Manufacturing Enterprise Job Package Support Project.' This is part of the government's 'AI and Data-Based SME Manufacturing Innovation Advancement Strategy' and 'Smart Manufacturing Innovation Execution Strategy.'

The Smart Manufacturing Enterprise Job Package Support Project is a program that supports job matching between SMEs that have introduced smart factories and job seekers. It was newly established this year to train job seekers as smart manufacturing specialists and to resolve the difficulties in job supply and demand.

According to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, although the demand for personnel in the smart manufacturing technology sector has significantly increased as SMEs adopt smart factories, it is not easy to train and secure on-site personnel. According to a survey conducted last year by the Korea Industrial Technology Association, 32.8% of SMEs that introduced smart factories experienced difficulties in training and securing specialized personnel. The ministry explained that the project reflects the on-site challenges and personnel demands of manufacturing SMEs.

Specifically, job seekers participating in the project receive basic job training related to the introduction, construction, and operation of smart factories online. After the basic training, they also receive advanced training based on customized on-site lectures and projects. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups provides a participation allowance of 200,000 KRW per month for three months to encourage active participation in job training. Participating companies receive a training allowance of 600,000 KRW per month for up to three months.

Won Young-jun, Director of Technology Innovation Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, "As SMEs actively adopt smart factories, the demand for personnel to manage on-site operations is also increasing. We will discover job seekers and train and supply them as smart manufacturing on-site personnel."