Ministry of Industry Accelerates Training of FTA Practical Personnel at Vocational High Schools... Average Employment Rate 83% Over 3 Years

Announcement for Recruitment of the '2022 Employment-Linked FTA Practical Workforce Training Project'

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] The average employment rate of students who completed the 'Employment-Linked Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Practical Workforce Training Project,' which the government has been conducting since 2019, has exceeded 80%.

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on the 3rd, 395 vocational high school students received practical training through the employment-linked FTA practical workforce training project from 2019 to last year. Among the graduates, 297 were employed, resulting in an average employment rate of 83%. The number of companies wishing to hire graduates increased more than twofold, from 120 companies in 2019 to 287 companies last year.

The employment-linked FTA practical workforce training project was introduced by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in 2019 to resolve the FTA workforce shortage in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and support youth employment. It provides education on trade practices and FTA utilization to students of vocational high schools such as specialized high schools and Meister high schools, and supports employment in regional export SMEs.

The Ministry announced the recruitment of schools to participate in this year's employment-linked FTA practical workforce training project. The Ministry plans to select a total of 10 schools and support approximately 150 students. Schools and trainees will be selected within this month, and FTA practical training will be conducted from next month until September this year. From June to the end of the year, support for company interviews and hiring negotiations will be provided.

Starting this year, the Ministry separated digital trade and trade English into distinct courses within trade practical education. Additionally, an advanced origin verification course was introduced as an elective, and a mock trade competition will be held to provide opportunities for work experience close to actual practice. A roundtable meeting inviting active trade professionals will also be held.

Jung Seok-jin, Director of Domestic Trade Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, said, "The project, which was piloted in 2019, has been stably established with an average employment rate of 83%," adding, "From next year, we plan to significantly expand the number of participating schools and trainees to fully meet the demand of vocational high schools and SMEs."