Public Forum on Establishing Support Systems for At-Risk Youth to Be Held on the 22nd

Ministry of Education Discusses Policy Alternatives for Supporting At-Risk Youth with Social Policy Research Institutes

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Education will hold a public forum on the 22nd with social research institutions such as the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET) on the theme of "Establishing an Integrated Support System for At-Risk Youth."

At this public forum, plans will be discussed to explore support measures for youth vulnerable to crises such as COVID-19 and to establish a support system tailored to the specific risk factors faced by youth in crisis.

At-risk youth refers to young people who lack the necessary conditions for healthy growth and living, such as those experiencing family problems or difficulties in academic performance or social adaptation.

Professor Jeong Ik-jung of the Department of Social Welfare at Ewha Womans University will diagnose the current status of personnel, budget, and service delivery systems related to child and youth support policies and discuss directions for policy integration improvements.

Ryu Jeong-hee, Director of the Social Service Policy Research Division at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, plans to analyze the current status of statistics production and management for at-risk children and youth, as well as overseas cases, to derive implications for restructuring Korea’s child and youth information-sharing system.

Byun Sook-young from the Vocational High School Credit System Support Center at KRIVET will seek support measures for youth independence, career, and employment based on actual interview cases with youth under facility protection and those preparing for independence.

Following the presentations, a discussion will be held with Kim Ji-yeon, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Youth Policy Institute, Choi Seong-eun, Research Fellow at the Daejeon Sejong Research Institute, and Ahn Hae-jung, Research Fellow at the Korea Educational Development Institute.

The public forum will be broadcast live online in consideration of the COVID-19 situation. It can be viewed through the Ministry of Education and KRIVET’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

Yoo Jeong-gi, Social Policy Cooperation Officer at the Ministry of Education, stated, "It is important for the central government, local governments, private institutions and organizations, and experts to closely cooperate to support at-risk youth." He added, "We will strive to improve the existing fragmented support system by project and ministry, and minimize blind spots in policy support for at-risk and vulnerable youth through information sharing and service linkage among ministries."