POSCO, 'Jangaein Digital Academy' 1st Graduates... Employment Partnership

8 out of 15 from 1st Batch Confirmed Employment
7 Undergoing Interview Process

The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation held the graduation ceremony for the first class of the Disabled Digital Academy on the 19th at the POSCO Center in Seoul. (From left) Yang Won-jun, Head of POSCO Management Support Division; Lee Tae-hoon, graduate; Cho Joon-hee, Chairman of the Korea Software Industry Association. Photo by POSCO Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyun] The first graduating class of the “Disabled Digital Academy,” a coding expert training program for people with disabilities run by the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation, has been born.

On the 19th, about 30 people, including Cho Junhee, Chairman of the Korea Software Industry Association, Yang Wonjun, Head of POSCO Management Support Headquarters, and graduates of the Digital Academy, attended the completion ceremony held at the POSCO Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

The Disabled Digital Academy is a project that selects young and middle-aged people with disabilities nationwide who need employment and supports coding education programs to meet social demands for the employment of people with disabilities and to nurture talent suitable for the digital age.

The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation signed a business agreement with the Korea Software Industry Association on May 23 to promote the development of digital talent for people with disabilities.

The first batch of trainees completed 27 weeks of online and offline education from June this year, consisting of ▲online basic job training (4 weeks) ▲advanced coding and project competency training (16 weeks) conducted at the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ Guro Digital Center ▲company-specific customized courses (4 weeks) conducted by professors at the POSCO Talent Creation Institute, and a recruitment linkage course (3 weeks).

At the Disabled Digital Academy, not only coding education but also basic business skills, business manners, workplace communication techniques, and self-PR speech training were provided, receiving great responses.

Through this program, 8 out of 15 trainees succeeded in finding employment, and the remaining 7 are currently undergoing recruitment processes. The companies where the trainees were employed include major domestic corporations and mid-sized companies such as Kookmin Bank, Kyobo Securities, Daishin Information & Communications, and Yuracle. The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation also supports students undergoing recruitment with self-introduction speeches, portfolio enhancement, mock interview programs, and accompanies them to interview venues to help them showcase their abilities to the fullest.

Chairman Cho said, “The speed of digital transformation is becoming a crucial factor that determines national competitiveness,” adding, “It is important to nurture digital talent, and I am pleased that the Disabled Digital Academy project is cultivating personnel who will lead related industries.”

Head Yang emphasized, “The Disabled Digital Academy is having a positive impact on society by not only nurturing talent but also helping with practical employment support for people with disabilities,” and added, “We will expand operations reflecting this year’s achievements and the hiring needs of IT companies.”

Graduate Lee Taehun, who succeeded in employment, expressed gratitude, saying, “Coding practice, which I had vaguely felt was difficult, was explained in an easy-to-understand way, making it a great opportunity to learn a lot. I am doubly happy to have succeeded in employment based on the skills I built at the Digital Academy.”

Meanwhile, the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation, operated with donations from POSCO Group and partner company employees and company matching grants, not only supports advanced assistive devices for national merit recipients but also helps improve employment capabilities of people with disabilities by establishing a VR vocational training center for people with developmental disabilities and an e-sports center for people with disabilities. In December this year, a video of the VR (virtual reality) vocational training center won the Minister of Strategy and Finance Award at the CSR Film Festival hosted by EToday at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.