Dongdaemun-gu Supports Successful Social Advancement of Youth

Secured Approximately 500 Million KRW in National Funding through Selection for the 'Youth Challenge Support Project' and 'Youth Growth Project' Public Competitions
Supporting Youth Economic Activity Participation, Labor Market Reentry, and Workplace Adaptation

Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) announced on the 28th that it will actively support youth job seekers following its recent selection for the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s ‘Youth Challenge Support Project’ and ‘Youth Growth Project’.

To further strengthen youth support, the district applied for the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s ‘Youth Challenge Support Project’ and ‘Youth Growth Project’ in January this year, and was selected in early February, securing 508 million KRW in national funding.

The ‘Youth Challenge Support Project’ is designed to provide customized programs such as confidence recovery and motivation enhancement to support economic participation and labor market re-entry for youth who have given up on job seeking.

The target participants include ▲ youth who have not been employed or participated in education or vocational training for more than six months, ▲ youth preparing for independence, ▲ youth entering or leaving youth shelters, and ▲ North Korean defectors.

The program includes basic counseling, case management related to health and daily life, confidence recovery, career exploration, and employment competency enhancement. It is divided into a 5-week Challenge (short-term) program and a 15 to 25-week Challenge+ (mid- to long-term) program, operated by the Seoul Youth Center Dongdaemun. This year, a total of 90 participants will be recruited, with incentives of 500,000 KRW for short-term completers and up to 3.5 million KRW for mid- to long-term completers.

Meanwhile, through the ‘Youth Growth Project,’ a new workplace adaptation support program will be launched this year. This project provides ‘onboarding’ training for new employees to teach necessary knowledge and skills, and youth-friendly organizational culture education for company representatives and HR personnel, helping young people adapt well to the workplace and maintain long-term employment.

Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, “To create a Dongdaemun-gu where youth gather, we will actively support the successful social advancement of youth who have given up on job seeking and embrace the lives of young people.” He added, “We hope many youth and companies will participate in the Youth Challenge Support Project and Youth Growth Project.” He also stated, “We will continue to actively discover projects that youth preparing for employment and entrepreneurship can truly feel, helping local youth design their futures.”