[Seoul District News] Seongdong-gu Helps Long-term Sewing Workers Without Labor Contracts Find Work History; Joint Certification of Sewing Career Cards Issued After Practical Test on 30th... Mapo-gu Operates Civil Service Helper System & Volunteers Provide Practical Assistance Connecting Visitors to Staff and Guiding Use of Unmanned Civil Service Issuance Machines... Gangbuk-gu Hosts 2022 Job Fair on 9th with 18 Companies Including Korea Yakult, Uniqlo, Coupang, Market Kurly, and Giljae Rehabilitation Center...
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) conducted the nation's first practical test for the Sewing Career Certification System at Seongdong Fashion Workshop on the 30th of last month, issuing career certificates to a total of 22 experienced sewing workers.
The Sewing Career Certification System is an initiative first attempted nationwide by Seongdong-gu to officially certify the skills of skilled workers who have worked for a long time without a legal labor contract, leaving no official labor records to prove their experience.
To receive sewing career certification, applicants must pass both a written review, which requires submitting an application form detailing their career history along with endorsements from three fellow sewing workers, and a practical test involving sewing fabric pieces using industrial sewing machines (main sewing machine).
Those who pass the practical test are issued a sewing career card and certification jointly certified by Seongdong-gu Office, Hanyang Women's University, and the Seongdong Fashion Sewing Workers Association. This aims to enhance the professional pride of sewing workers and to connect job opportunities through future database construction. The certification will also be used as an instructor credential when operating sewing academies.
Additionally, holders of the certification card receive discount benefits at partner hospitals. Currently, there is one partner hospital, but the district plans to expand the number of partner hospitals in the future.
A total of 23 applicants who passed the written review took the practical test for the first time on the 30th of last month. Mr. Park, with 40 years of experience, who finished the practical test, said, "I was very nervous. Thinking about being evaluated in front of someone, I made mistakes today even in tasks I usually do with my eyes closed," expressing his regret.
The garment sewing industry, which led Korea's industry in the 1970s, became a declining industry as overseas relocation accelerated in the 1990s. In a limited market, "sewing workers" became temporary or ghost workers called "Gaekgong" (temporarily hired workers) due to the devaluation of labor with unchanged wage rates for 20 years.
To solve these problems, efforts to nurture people and protect the industry are urgently needed, such as recognizing the labor value of skilled workers through a "standard (minimum) wage rate," policies encouraging regular employment, and sewing education focused on employment-linked practical training.
In March, Seongdong-gu formed the "Seongdong National Policy Design Group," consisting of sewing industry workers, experts, residents, and related officials, to develop and advance policies addressing issues of unregistered sewing businesses and workers. Following policy discussions, the district is implementing a visiting "ONE-CALL" business registration agency service to legalize unregistered garment manufacturing businesses.
In collaboration with Seongdong Tax Office and Seongdong Workers' Welfare Center, the district also formed the "ONE-TEAM Dream Advisory Group" to assist unregistered garment manufacturing businesses facing difficulties with tax, labor, and legal issues.
Mayor Jung Won-oh said, "There are about 2,000 unregistered sewing businesses in the area, and they must have gone through even harsher times due to COVID-19. We will further advance the 'Sewing Career Certification System' and support it through various means, including ordinance revisions, to make it an effective proof of career," he stated.
Appointment Ceremony of the Volunteer Group for Civil Complaints Guidance at Mapo-gu Community Service Center (Front row center: Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu)
Mr. A, an elderly living alone, visited the nearby community service center without hesitation, worried about heating costs as the weather got colder. He felt lost about which counter to approach and what procedures to follow, and he could not easily speak to the busy staff attending to other clients.
Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Kang-soo) empathizes with such difficulties faced by visitors to community service centers and operates the "Civil Service Helper System" to provide more approachable administrative services to residents.
The "Civil Service Helper System" originated from the idea of Park Kang-soo, Mayor of Mapo-gu, who has emphasized kind civil administration as a top priority. It is a voluntary resident participation volunteer group created to assist visitors facing difficulties at administrative agencies.
On the 2nd, the district held a "Volunteer Civil Service Guide Appointment Ceremony" (photo) at the Mapo-gu Office audiovisual room, providing training on customer service methods and civil service-related activities to the helpers, and began full operation from the 3rd.
The volunteer civil service guide group consists of 68 members, with 3 to 6 members per neighborhood. They quickly connect visitors to the appropriate staff at community service centers, assist with filling out various unfamiliar application forms, directly care for elderly and mobility-impaired visitors, and provide guidance on using unmanned civil service issuance machines, offering a variety of volunteer activities to deliver customer satisfaction civil services.
Mayor Park Kang-soo of Mapo-gu said, "The reality is that administrative agencies still feel like a high barrier to residents. As community service centers are the closest point of daily administration to residents, we will strive to ensure that visitors feel warm and moved when they visit," he said.
Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) will hold the "2022 Job Fair" at 2 p.m. on the 9th at the Gangbuk Culture and Arts Center.
The district stated that the fair was organized to provide a meeting place between job seekers and employers, offering companies the opportunity to hire excellent talent and providing job seekers with employment opportunities and various job information.
About 50 companies will participate in the fair. At the recruitment hall, 18 companies including Korea Yakult, Uniqlo, Coupang, Market Kurly, and Gil Rehabilitation Nursing Home will conduct on-site interviews, while other companies will participate indirectly through a job posting board.
From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., a practical interview special lecture titled "Practical Interview with Teacher Yoon," by Yoon So-yoon, author of "Thinking Coding Speech" and CEO of Yoon Speech, will be held. Participants can learn how to write interview documents, employment trends, and speech methods.
The consulting hall will include participants such as Gangbuk Women's Human Resources Development Center, Seoul Metropolitan Women's Ability Development Center, Gangbuk Senior Welfare Center, Gangbuk Seongbuk Employment Welfare Center, and Gangbuk-gu Job Plus Center. Detailed consultations on employment and career, from aptitude tests to employment counseling and senior employment consulting, will be available.
Additionally, the district has prepared various side events such as resume photo shoots, mock interview consulting, fingerprint aptitude tests, and personal color diagnosis to support job seekers applying for on-site interviews with resume writing assistance.
Anyone seeking employment or job information can participate in the job fair. Detailed information is available on the Gangbuk-gu website.
Mayor Lee Soon-hee of Gangbuk-gu said, "I hope this job fair will be a place where both companies seeking employees and job seekers are satisfied," adding, "We will continue to expand the employment network and strengthen employment support programs."
The district canceled various events to mourn the recent Itaewon tragedy but decided to hold the job fair as scheduled to promote job creation and alleviate employment difficulties.
Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) announced that the "Jeongneung Arirang Market Merchant Education Space and Office Construction Project" was selected for the "2023 Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Market Facility Modernization Contest," securing a total project cost of 976 million KRW, including 819 million KRW in city funds.
The selected project, "Jeongneung Arirang Market Merchant Education Space and Office Construction," has been a long-awaited wish at Jeongneung Arirang Market for nearly 10 years. The district plans to purchase a site of 149㎡ and a building of 70.67㎡ and complete remodeling by the end of 2023.
Once completed, this project is expected to greatly aid overall market management and merchant capacity building, significantly improving convenience for merchants and visiting customers.
Kim Jin-tae, president of the Jeongneung Arirang Market Merchants Association, said, "Our market has been using a space barely 2 pyeong (about 6.6㎡) as an office, with no space to educate merchants, causing great difficulties in overall market management and revitalization projects. I am truly happy and moved that these difficulties will be completely resolved with this contest selection," adding, "I sincerely thank all those involved who worked hard and will do my best to develop the market to contribute to the local community and economy."
Regarding the selection, Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, said, "The creation of merchant education space and office at Jeongneung Arirang Market is also a pledge project of the 8th local government administration, and this selection gives it great momentum," adding, "We will keep in mind that the selection for Seoul's facility modernization contest is an important project that will greatly impact the market's development and residents' convenience, and we will proceed with the project carefully and with continuous interest."
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