Comprehensive Support from Jobs to Housing and Community, Establishing Itself as a Youth Growth Hub
Youth-formed Operating Committee and Honorary Youth Chief Selected, Expected to Become a Role Model for Youth Policies
‘Gwanak Youth Center’ will open its doors on April 22.
Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Junhee) invested a total of 13 billion KRW to create the integrated youth support platform ‘Gwanak Youth Center’ with a total floor area of 1,528.86㎡, spanning from basement level 1 to the 7th floor, equipped with a multifaceted support system to foster the ‘Youth Special City Gwanak where youth nurture their dreams.’
From the establishment stage, the district operated the public-private governance ‘Youth Policy Committee’ and ‘Gwanak Youth Network’ to reflect the demands and opinions of youth, aiming to practically incorporate their voices into policies.
The opening ceremony, held from 2 PM on the 22nd, is especially meaningful as local youth cultural artists and a strategic task force jointly planned the event and space utilization. Before and after the official ceremony, from 1 PM to 4:30 PM, Gwanak Youth Center will operate ‘Comprehensive Youth Support’ linked programs, marking its first step as a comprehensive activity hub for youth.
The programs were directly prepared by youth, reflecting their lifestyles and social demands, including ‘Youth Artist Performances,’ ‘One-day Classes,’ and ‘Small-scale Employment and Startup Lectures.’
After the opening, the center will fully operate by providing comprehensive ‘youth-centered customized consulting’ to youth facing various social issues such as employment, jobs, welfare, psychological counseling, and community support, utilizing spaces like the youth caf?, seminar rooms, counseling rooms, multipurpose auditorium, shared office, and startup incubation rooms.
In particular, a ‘Youth Center Operating Committee’ will be formed, centered on local youth activists with rich experience, and the chairperson will be selected as the ‘Honorary Youth Chief’ to carry out autonomous and distinctive operations. Youth will directly establish and monitor the roles, vision, and operational plans of the Youth Center, actively incorporating diverse youth activities and voices.
Furthermore, it will be reborn as a space to develop youth business capabilities. Continuing specialized programs for capacity expansion, such as the local artist stepwise growth support project ‘Looking for Gwanhee’ and the Gwanak-type youth small business creator training project ‘The Business School Found Gwanak,’ it will lay the foundation for youth culture to contribute to the economy, industry, and welfare sectors.
Park Junhee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, said, “We will grow together with youth centered on Gwanak Youth Center and become a role model for youth policies,” adding, “We will continue to listen to youth voices and create ‘Gwanak, a city where youth achieve their dreams,’ opening opportunities for future generations.”
Dobong-gu Establishes Basis for Policies Tailored to Diverse Needs and Characteristics of Single-person Households
Policy Projects in Four Areas: Health, Safety, Housing, and Isolation for Single-person Households
Dobong-gu Conducts Single-person Household Survey Research This Year
Dobong-gu (Mayor Oh Eonseok) promulgated the Seoul Dobong-gu Single-person Household Support Ordinance on the 13th.
The district has established an institutional basis to actively respond to social changes brought by single-person households and to implement policies tailored to their diverse needs and characteristics.
The promulgated ordinance includes various provisions such as ▲establishing a basic plan for single-person households every five years ▲annual implementation plans ▲surveys ▲support projects ▲installation and operation of support facilities.
Notably, the ordinance includes a Dobong-gu single-person household survey (status, needs, characteristics, etc.) to discover and implement distinctive and tangible policies for Dobong-gu residents, with research services to be conducted this year.
Based on the ordinance, the district plans to promote single-person household policy projects divided into four areas: health, safety, housing, and isolation. Customized and tangible projects will be carried out, ranging from cooking classes for middle-aged and older adults called ‘Happy Table’ to safety projects for single-person households (Safe Return Scout, safety equipment support, etc.).
Oh Eonseok, Mayor of Dobong-gu, said, “As the increase in single-person households is a social change, it was urgent to prepare support measures based on the ordinance. From basic and implementation plans to support projects, we will prepare policies that single-person households in Dobong-gu can genuinely feel.”
Seocho-gu Recruiting ‘Always on Your Side’ Mentors for Youth Preparing for Independence
District to Recruit 20 Mentors by the 28th Who Can Support and Be Reliant Upon for Youth Starting Independent Lives
Psychological and Counseling Support, Celebrating Anniversaries, Movie/Theater/Museum Visits, Housing, Legal, and Financial Expert Consultations Included
Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seongsu) will officially launch the ‘Always on Your Side’ mentoring project next month to provide emotional and psychological support to youth preparing for independence.
Youth preparing for independence refers to those who have been under protection in child care facilities, group homes, or foster care and are starting independent lives after protection ends at age 18.
First, the district is recruiting 20 mentors to become reliable adults whom these youth can depend on like family.
The mentor group will support youth preparing for independence in various fields, from daily life skills in psychological, legal, and financial areas to setting future career paths.
Mentoring support is provided mainly through ‘1:1 mentoring’ and ‘integrated mentoring.’ ‘1:1 mentoring’ fosters a familial bond through regular meetings between mentor and mentee. It also includes psychological and counseling support, celebrating anniversaries, and sharing cultural activities like movies, theater, and museum visits.
‘Integrated mentoring’ offers advice in various fields such as housing, legal, and financial matters to assist daily life and connects mentees with other professional mentors for integrated services. At the end of the year, a ‘Networking Day’ will be held to promote friendship and information exchange between mentors and mentees.
Mentor recruitment is open until the 28th, and interested residents can apply through the Seocho-gu website. The district will select final mentors through document and interview screening and hold a launch ceremony next month to support mentoring activities.
Meanwhile, the district has provided top-level support nationwide for the successful independence of youth preparing for independence. Since 2020, separate from government and Seoul city subsidies, it has provided up to 25 million KRW in five-year settlement funds and up to 18 million KRW in living allowances, as well as ▲up to 12 million KRW for university tuition and ▲up to 4 million KRW for academy fees.
Mayor Jeon Seongsu said, “We will continue to be a strong support system for youth preparing for independence with Seocho’s warm and differentiated support policies.”
Seongdong-gu Establishes One-stop Employment and Startup Support Service for Women with Career Experience
Customized Counseling to Employment, One-stop Seongdong-type Service Support System Established
Service Support Begins in April with Career Recognition Program Issuing Care Work Career Certificates
Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Wono) announced on the 14th that it signed a business agreement with three related institutions to strengthen employment and startup support for women with career experience and established a one-stop support service.
Collaboration with support institutions is essential to provide all stages from practical employment and startup training and career certificate issuance to customized counseling and job linkage for women with career experience.
Accordingly, on the 14th, Seongdong-gu signed business agreements with ▲Seongdong-Gwangjin Employment Welfare Plus Center ▲Seoul Seongdong Women’s Human Resources Development Center ▲Seoul Eastern Women’s Development Center.
Since establishing a comprehensive support plan for women with career experience earlier this year, the district has been striving to devise a plan to support all processes one-stop until overcoming career breaks and succeeding in reemployment or startups. In March, it held a meeting with related women’s employment and startup institutions to share project status and design a promotion system connecting projects carried out by each institution.
The completed ‘Seongdong-type One-stop Employment and Startup Support Service for Women with Career Experience’ targets those who have completed the ‘Career Recognition Program’ and received the Seongdong-gu care work career certificate. Starting with customized individual counseling, it proceeds with career development planning, advanced vocational training, job placement, and follow-up management all at once.
Seongdong-gu was the first nationwide to enact an ordinance supporting women with career experience in 2021, using the positive term ‘career-holding’ instead of ‘career break’ and raising awareness of the value of care work. Since then, it has continuously promoted projects such as issuing care work career certificates, awareness campaigns for women with career experience, and employment and startup education for them. Since 2021, four people who completed the career recognition program and received the care work career certificate have successfully found employment.
In March, the district established a dedicated bulletin board for women with career experience on its website to make it easier to access desired information, and the career recognition program will be fully operated from April.
The district plans to issue care work career certificates in the name of the Seongdong-gu mayor to program completers and provide one-stop employment and startup services, accelerating support for women with career experience. Currently, a total of 17 Seongdong-gu participating companies officially recognize the care work career certificate as part of their hiring documents.
Mayor Jung Wono of Seongdong-gu said, “The establishment of the Seongdong-type one-stop employment and startup support service for women with career experience is significant as it brings us closer to practical support projects for these women,” adding, “We will continue to recognize the precious value of care work and strive to create an environment where everyone can work without worries.”
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