Vice Minister of Science and ICT: "Private Sector Role Also Important in Software Talent Development"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] On the afternoon of the 28th, Cho Kyung-sik, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, visited the Naver Connect Foundation to hear industry opinions related to the shortage of software (SW) talent and discuss future support plans for talent development through public-private cooperation.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the meeting was attended by industry representatives from Naver Connect Foundation, Team Sparta, Koscom, Douzone Bizon, Midas IT, Software Industry Association, as well as experts related to software talent development from SW-centered universities and the Software Policy Research Institute.

At the meeting, Vice Minister Cho emphasized, "With the acceleration of digital transformation across all industries, the demand for software talent is rapidly increasing. The government is continuously expanding talent supply through the Korean New Deal’s ‘100,000 AI and SW Core Talent Development’ initiative," adding, "The role of the private sector in software talent development is also important."

He added, “We will actively reflect corporate demands in existing government projects and actively consider government support for processes where companies directly train the talent they need, as well as public-private cooperation plans.”

The Naver Connect Foundation is a non-profit organization established by Naver in 2011 to professionally implement software education projects. It operates a leading model of private software education by linking graduates of its software education programs to recruitment within the company.

At the meeting, various models were presented, including Naver Connect’s software education model, a model where companies directly establish educational courses at universities to train and recruit talent (Team Sparta), and a model where specialized educational institutions open and operate courses needed by small and venture companies (Software Industry Association).