Seocho-gu Partners with KAIST to Foster AI Talent

Seocho-gu to recruit 100 students aged 19-39 for ‘Seocho AI College’ education program until the 19th

From the 24th, the district will strengthen intensive web/AI training with high employment demand until October, operating KAIST’s systematic and specialized curriculum including corporate-linked project development

Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) will conduct the ‘2023 Seocho AI College’ education program, combining basic education with corporate practical work, starting from the 24th to prepare for the 4th Industrial Revolution era.

Since 2019, ‘Seocho AI College,’ conducted in collaboration with KAIST, is a youth employment support program that cultivates specialized talents demanded by companies, such as AI (Artificial Intelligence).

This year, the basic course duration has been reduced from 6 weeks to 4 weeks, and the advanced course has been subdivided into ‘Web Development’ and ‘AI’ education tracks. In particular, a ‘Corporate-linked Project Course,’ focusing on solving technical challenges requested by companies, has been added to strengthen the practical capabilities of the trainees.

The education program consists of three stages?basic course, advanced course, and project course?lasting a total of 24 weeks.

First, the basic course will be conducted online for 100 trainees. KAIST professors will teach programming basics, data structures and algorithms, and Python language so that even non-majors can easily get started. Additionally, any difficult parts of the online lessons will be supplemented with face-to-face classes every Saturday.

Last Year's AI College Project Presentation

The advanced course will be a 10-week program for 60 outstanding students selected from the 100 basic course participants. In-depth learning will be provided to acquire more specialized knowledge and skills in artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and related fields.

The final ‘Portfolio Project’ course is a 10-week program for 30 top students from the advanced course, offering practical, specialized training. Participants will receive coaching from mentors composed of AI researchers and current industry professionals, and cultivate practical skills by carrying out ‘technology development projects’ reflecting corporate demands.

Graduates who complete all three courses will receive a certificate issued in the name of the KAIST president and participate in a project presentation event in November. The event will involve local companies related to the 4th Industrial Revolution, increasing employment opportunities through on-the-spot interviews.

Additionally, the district plans to operate a ‘Technical Sales Course’ in the second half of the year for young people aspiring to work in technical sales. Technical sales is a role that connects technical aspects between engineers and clients and sells IT technology, reflecting the hiring demand of companies related to the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The recruitment target is job-seeking youth aged 19 to 39, and applications can be submitted through the Seocho-gu Office website until the 19th. Afterwards, the district will select trainees through document screening and interviews.

So far, Seocho AI College has connected a total of 52 participants as interns to companies related to the 4th Industrial Revolution, with 21 of them transitioning to full-time positions.

Seocho Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “We will continue to expand programs like AI College to prepare for the 4th Industrial Revolution era and spare no effort to support our youth facing employment difficulties.”