[Seoul District News] ▲ Expansion of Youth Spaces: Youth Work-Life Center, Youth Agit, Youth Job Center ▲ Supporting Youth Work and Life: Nowon Chance 3, Work Experience Support Project ▲ Reflecting Youth Voices in Policy: Nowon Youth Network, Nowon Youth Policy Academy... Yeongdeungpo-gu Supports the Joy of Reading with 'Book Clubs'
[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it is making every effort to implement youth policies that permeate the lives of young people in a way they can truly feel.
In particular, this year, it will focus on three key tasks: ▲expanding youth spaces ▲supporting Nowon-type youth jobs ▲active policy participation.
□ Expanding spaces for youth... Work-Life Center, Youth Agit, Job Center
The district is expanding dedicated spaces where young people can gather to strengthen youth networks.
The first to open is the ‘Nowon Youth Work-Life Center’ on March 22. To expand the highly supported ‘work experience’ project, the district has created a dedicated space to operate the ‘work experience support’ program more long-term and systematically.
Besides the work experience project, the center plans to run various programs that address diverse concerns and needs of youth, such as ‘Honbap Cookdamsso’ for single-person households and reclusive youth, a metaverse-based ‘Loose Company,’ and delivery of care kits.
On the 30th, the ‘Nowon Youth Agit’ will open. This agit, which will be a cultural vitality space for youth, is designed to accommodate complex activities such as small performances, exhibitions, and club meetings, reflecting the desires of young people. Located in Gongneung-dong, a hotspot for youth, it is expected to serve as a hub connecting infrastructure such as the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail, Gongneung-dong Youth Stores, and Nowon Youth Work-Life Center.
In July, the ‘Nowon-gu Youth Job Center (Nowon Youth Job Studio)’ is also scheduled to open. The center will provide tailored employment support services for youth preparing for employment (or career changes), including employment counseling, interview outfit rentals, photo shoots, and industry-specific employment lectures.
Additionally, in 2024, a ‘Youth Career Center’ will be established near Kwangwoon University Station, followed by the ‘Gongneung Youth Job Center’ in 2025.
□ Focused investment in building a youth job ecosystem through Nowon-type job projects and youth startup support
The district is investing heavily in building a youth job ecosystem by supporting employment and youth startups for unemployed youth.
The ‘Nowon Chance 3 for Unemployed Youth,’ launched for the first time this year, aims to support youth facing difficulties such as unemployment and joblessness due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
Unemployed youth aged 19 to 34 within two years of graduation will receive ▲a 500,000 KRW employment incentive per person ▲150 hours of study cafe usage within Nowon-gu ▲priority participation rights in work experience programs.
The highly supported ‘Work Experience Support Project’ will also be expanded and promoted. This project allows youth to accumulate job experience by working in local businesses before entering society, helping them reduce concerns about choosing a suitable career.
It focuses on discovering jobs that meet youth demands rather than short-term jobs and ensures practical on-site training rather than simple tasks.
Youth will also be given opportunities to experience entrepreneurship without economic burdens. The most representative example is the ‘Nowon Youth Store.’ To reduce the biggest obstacle to youth startups?rental costs?the district waives deposits and offers a 50% discount on monthly rent for two years.
They can gauge market reactions to their ideas and acquire management know-how through expert consulting and mentoring.
The district currently supports youth startups by leasing public institutions and private stores to create up to 10 Nowon Youth Stores and plans to expand to 14 stores this year.
□ Connecting youth voices to policies... Nowon Youth Network, Nowon Youth Policy Academy
The district is also expanding communication channels to ensure youth voices lead to policies. Representative programs include the ‘Nowon Youth Policy Network’ and the ‘Nowon Youth Policy Academy.’
Through these programs, various youth opinions such as securing youth spaces, hosting youth festivals, conducting surveys for housing-vulnerable youth support, and supporting youth employment preparation were proposed last year. The district established project plans and budgets to realize these.
Youth participating in the Nowon Youth Policy Network reported feeling respected and a sense of achievement by witnessing the realization of their proposed ideas and policies.
This year, the district plans to continue operating the Nowon Youth Policy Network, youth participatory budgeting, and the Nowon Youth Policy Academy.
Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “I hope young people gather, clash, and fully express their hidden potential in youth spaces,” adding, “We will continue to meet and communicate with youth and do our best to implement effective and empathetic youth policies that reflect their voices.”
Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) supports reading clubs to promote ‘social reading.’
‘Social reading’ is a new reading strategy that expands reading from a personal and emotional act to one that brings about change in people and society through shared reading and discussion, according to the 3rd Basic Plan for the Promotion of Reading Culture.
To this end, the district selects 40 excellent clubs and supports each with about 800,000 KRW, totaling 32 million KRW.
Eligible groups are reading clubs composed of five or more adults. At least 70% of participants must be Yeongdeungpo residents or workers located in Yeongdeungpo, and clubs must conduct at least four reading discussions, ideally once a month during the activity period.
Clubs engaged in religious activities, purely profit-driven clubs, clubs led by instructors receiving fees, or clubs receiving overlapping subsidies from other institutions are excluded.
The support amount of about 800,000 KRW per club can be used for instructor fees, rental fees, book purchases, etc. However, at least 50% of the support must be spent on book purchases, and general instructor fees or labor costs not related to author meetings are not allowed.
The application period is from the 17th to the 28th. Applicants should refer to the ‘2022 Reading Club Activity Support Project Contest’ in the announcements section of the Yeongdeungpo-gu website, complete the application form, and submit it along with required documents such as a resident registration abstract to the district office (Future Education Division) or via email.
Submitted clubs will undergo a first screening for eligibility and activity systematization, followed by a final selection through the Local Subsidy Deliberation Committee.
For more details, please refer to the Yeongdeungpo-gu website.
Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “I hope the reading club project becomes an opportunity for individual reading to develop into active reading that communicates with others,” adding, “We will continue to strive to spread a reading culture led by residents.”
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