Excellent Talent in Mapo-gu Youth Employment Internship Program Converted to Full-Time, Supporting Overcoming Youth Unemployment... 95% Satisfaction from Participating Companies, Gaining Opportunities to Hire Outstanding Talent Through Internship Program
[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Mapo-gu (District Mayor Yudonggyun, photo) announced that among the 35 interns hired through the ‘Mapo-type Youth Employment Internship Project,’ 26 have been converted to full-time positions, exceeding the initial target of 70%.
This internship project, promoted by the district, began in October last year with a budget of 325 million KRW, involving 22 local companies and 35 youths. It aimed to provide job experience and employment opportunities to young people facing prolonged economic recession and employment difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while supporting companies with subsidies to hire outstanding talent.
Previously, the district had implemented internship projects supporting youth employment, such as the ‘Small and Medium Enterprise Youth Internship Project,’ which from 2011 to 2017 mainly selected about 10 interns from specialized high school graduates (or prospective graduates), resulting in about 5 interns converting to full-time positions.
This project is significant in that, unlike before, it actively reflected the opinions of partner organizations through public-private business agreements and established a collaborative system with groups and institutions holding local networks to encourage participation from companies with high growth potential.
Additionally, the project was designed to provide sufficient subsidies by paying 2.3 million KRW per month for 3 months per intern at small and medium enterprises with 5 or more employees located in Mapo-gu, with an additional one-month payment upon conversion to full-time, enabling companies to actively hire and convert desired outstanding talent to full-time positions.
To ensure smooth implementation, in February the Mapo-gu Office sent a letter of appreciation and requested active cooperation for full-time conversion from participating companies. At the same time, to prevent moral hazard among participating companies and interns, workplace guidance, inspections, and opportunities to hear field opinions were conducted.
As a result, 19 out of 22 participating companies converted their hired interns to full-time employees, allowing a total of 26 youth employment interns to continue their company life.
Furthermore, according to a satisfaction survey conducted after the project’s conclusion, 21 participating companies (95%) expressed satisfaction with the project, with the most frequently requested improvement being an extension of the internship support period (68%).
Startups, which often face difficulties in hiring due to labor cost burdens, also evaluated that they were able to hire outstanding talent earlier than planned through this project.
Mapo-gu Mayor Yudonggyun said, “I express my gratitude to all companies and youths who participated in this internship project despite the many difficulties. We will continuously strive to overcome the COVID-19 crisis as soon as possible to restore precious daily life and revitalize the local economy.”
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