From Mechanical and Electronics to Smart Factory and AI Departments... Vocational High Schools Revamp Departments at 101 Schools

Restructuring Departments to Meet New Industry Growth and Workforce Demand
Ministry of Education Selects Support Targets from Applications by Specialized and Meister High Schools

A view of the Production Automation Room in the Smart Factory Department at Daegu Jeonja Technical High School, selected for the 2019 department reorganization. After installing six industrial robots, establishing the Production Automation Room, creating automatic control devices, and preparing curricula related to factory automation, the department recruited its first batch of new students this year, with 216 applicants for 117 available spots. (Source: Ministry of Education)

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Education is promoting the restructuring of departments at 101 specialized high schools and Meister high schools to respond to the demand for new industries such as artificial intelligence (AI), smart factories, and future automobiles.

On the 1st, the Ministry of Education announced the results of the 2021 vocational high school department restructuring selection and stated that it will support the restructuring of 148 departments across 101 schools.

The Ministry selected support targets based on applications from schools, feasibility, and evaluation criteria. Among the restructuring targets, the mechanical field (32 departments) and the electrical/electronic field (25 departments) were the most numerous, followed by the design, culture, and content field (17 departments), and the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and marine field (14 departments).

In particular, many department restructurings were selected to nurture basic technical talents in new industry fields such as artificial intelligence, future automobiles, and bio, which is expected to meet the supply of manpower for promising future industries.

Gwangwoon Electronics Technical High School plans to restructure its Computer Electronics Department into the Artificial Intelligence Computing Department, Yeomgwang Girls' Meditech High School will change its Health Administration Department to the Bio Cosmetic Department, and Kumho Technical High School will convert its Mechanical Department into the Smart Factory Department.

With the expansion of the service industry, many departments related to companion animals, media and content production, and health fields were also selected. Department restructuring will also be promoted toward the food service industry and baking and confectionery fields, which have high student demand.

The selected schools will recruit new students from the 2023 academic year after obtaining approval for department restructuring from the metropolitan and provincial offices of education. The Ministry of Education and the metropolitan and provincial offices of education will support budgets and consultations necessary for curriculum preparation and securing teachers for the restructuring.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye said, "The core of vocational education is ultimately to timely nurture talents equipped with job competencies needed in the field. The Ministry of Education will further strive to nurture basic technical talents by supporting department restructuring and curriculum improvement linked to new and promising industries."