[2021 National Audit] "5 Million Won Per Person" Tomorrow Learning Card Extended to University 3rd Year Students... "Participation Rate Halved"

Yoon Jun-byeong "Need to Increase Opportunities for Workers to Participate in Training, Including Activation of Non-Face-to-Face Methods"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The participation rate in the 'National Tomorrow Learning Card,' which provides 3 to 5 million won per person for job skill development for up to five years, was halved last year. Although the government announced last month that it would expand the support target from university graduates to third-year students two years before graduation, considering the low policy response last year, there are criticisms that the measures were introduced too late.

According to data received by Yoon Junbyung of the Environment and Labor Committee of the National Assembly from the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 19th, among 13,864,138 workers in 2019, 4.1% or 565,235 participated, but last year, out of 14,111,690 workers, only 2.1% or 291,007 participated. The participation rate was halved.

The budget execution rate also declined. In 2019, 879.9 billion won, which is 91.7% of the allocated 955.9 billion won, was executed, but last year, only 809.7 billion won, 75.5% of the 1.0731 trillion won, was executed. In particular, the amount spent on non-face-to-face (remote) education was halved from 20 billion won to 10.1 billion won. The number of trainees decreased by 58%, from 215,900 to 90,784 during the same period. This shows a somewhat mismatched policy implementation process with the fact that South Korea largely shifted to a non-face-to-face society due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

The number of workers participating in employer-led training also dropped from 2.57 million in 2019 to 2.1 million last year. Compared to 6.43 million in 2018, it decreased to about one-third. The number of participating workplaces also fell from 121,000 in 2019 to 102,000 last year. Compared to 183,000 in 2018, this is a 79.4% decrease last year.

According to Representative Yoon, the OECD in its '2020 Korea Economic Report' recommended shifting direct job creation policies to focus on education and vocational counseling and strengthening vocational training for middle-aged and young people to improve job quality and employability.

Representative Yoon said, "The worker participation rate in the Tomorrow Learning Card is 2.1%, and the budget execution rate is only 75%, which means there are institutional loopholes such as failing to properly induce worker participation," adding, "The government should prepare customized support, such as activating non-face-to-face education suitable for the COVID-19 era, to increase participation and execution rates."