Cultivating Field-Oriented Talent... Busan City and Dongmyeong University Promote Waterloo-Style Co-op Program Pilot Project 'Work2Learn'

Busan City Hall.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] Busan City is promoting ‘Work2Learn,’ a pilot project of the Waterloo-style Co-op program based on industry-university cooperation with Dongmyung University and the Busan Economic Promotion Agency to cultivate talent needed by companies.

The Waterloo-style Co-op program is a program at the University of Waterloo in Canada where students alternate between academic semesters and practical training semesters to acquire practical skills and academic knowledge.

‘Work2Learn’ is a project that cultivates local talent who receive theoretical education at university and practical training at companies, fostering individuals equipped with both theoretical and practical capabilities.

Dongmyung University and the Busan Economic Promotion Agency will sign a related business agreement on the 13th.

Dongmyung University will be responsible for selecting participating students, operating the curriculum, providing scholarships, and overall academic management, while the Busan Economic Promotion Agency will support matching and consulting between local excellent companies, including 청끌기업 (companies attractive to youth), and talent.

This year, as a pilot project to foster the digital sector and regional strategic industries, 20 outstanding students in their 3rd and 4th years from Dongmyung University’s AI Convergence College and College of Engineering will be selected in June.

The selected students will complete the course while learning practical skills on-site from dedicated mentors at the respective companies during the second semester of this year, and the companies will comprehensively review the students’ practical performance and achievements to decide on employment.

Go Mi-ja, Director of Youth Industry-University Startup at Busan City, said, “We will promote various talent cultivation programs by combining the strengths of local universities and companies to nurture practical talents desired by companies.”