Request to Establish Sewing Technician as a National Technical Qualification Category

Dongdaemun-gu Requests Ministry of Employment and Labor to Establish National Technical Qualification for Sewing Skills Certification

Dongdaemun-gu (District Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) collaborated with the Dongdaemun-gu Fashion Sewing Industry Development Council and the Seoul Workers' Comprehensive Support Center to request the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 1st to establish a new national technical qualification category for (tentatively named) Sewing Technician.

At the second half regular general meeting of the Northeast Region Fashion Sewing Industry Development Council (Chairman Lee Pil-hyung, Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor) held on October 20, a discussion was held on the proposal by the Seoul Workers' Comprehensive Support Center to establish a national qualification system for sewing technicians. The council, founded in 2017, consists of small garment sewing businesses concentrated in Jongno-gu, Jung-gu, Seongdong-gu, Gwangjin-gu, Dongdaemun-gu, Jungnang-gu, Seongbuk-gu, Gangbuk-gu, and Dobong-gu, and plays a role in discussing laws, policies, and system improvements affecting the sewing industry, collecting opinions from small business owners, and conveying and supporting them to relevant institutions for the development of the fashion sewing industry.

Currently, the sewing industry is facing difficulties such as labor shortages and declining productivity due to the aging workforce, poor working environments and conditions, and a social atmosphere that perceives sewing skills as simple labor. Therefore, the need has been raised to improve the negative perception of the sewing industry and sewing skills and to establish a system that can certify technical skills when hiring workers.

The Dongdaemun-gu Fashion Sewing Industry Development Council submitted a review opinion letter to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 1st regarding the establishment of the national technical qualification category for sewing technicians. The district expects that through the establishment of this category, the national-level objective and systematic management of sewing personnel will lead to the advancement of the fashion sewing industry, and that the competitiveness of domestic manufacturers can be strengthened with fashion garments made by verified sewing technicians.

About 1,700 sewing companies operate in Dongdaemun-gu, and the garment sewing industry accounts for about 40% of the manufacturing industry in the region, making it a representative industry. With the scheduled opening of the Fashion Sewing Complex Support Center in January next year, the district plans to expand support for garment sewing workers and revitalize the garment sewing industry.

Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, stated, “Through the establishment of the national qualification system for sewing technicians, we hope to instill pride in sewing workers and spread the awareness that sewing skills, as well as design, must be the foundation for the development of the fashion industry.” He added, “We will continue to make various efforts for the development of the garment sewing industry in the district.”