2024. Establishment of Youth Policy Implementation Plan and Full-scale Promotion of Youth-friendly Projects
80.68 Billion KRW Invested to Implement 48 Projects under 3 Major Strategies and 5 Key Tasks
Diverse Initiatives to Discover Jobs, Build Safety Nets, and Establish Participation and Activity Foundations
Nowon-gu, Seoul (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced on the 19th that it has established the '2024 Youth Policy Implementation Plan' with the vision of 'Nowon, a city where youth stay longer,' and will begin full-scale implementation of youth-friendly projects.
This year, the district has prepared three major strategies: ▲Discovering Nowon-type youth jobs ▲Establishing a Nowon-type youth safety net ▲Laying the foundation for Nowon-type youth participation activities. To materialize these, five key tasks?‘Jobs,’ ‘Housing,’ ‘Education,’ ‘Welfare & Culture,’ and ‘Participation & Rights’?were selected as detailed strategic tasks, with a budget of 8.068 billion KRW allocated to promote a total of 48 projects.
What are the strategies for discovering youth jobs and startups?
First, under the 'Youth Job Discovery Strategy,' one of the three major strategies, 1.712 billion KRW will be invested to implement 17 projects.
The district provides comprehensive youth employment support services centered on the Youth Job Center (Youth Tomorrow), including employment special lectures, interview outfit rentals, and interview photo shoots. Additionally, it plans to promote a region-led youth job project, offering various incentives to youth who find employment locally after participating in the project, thereby strengthening employment capabilities and supporting regional settlement.
Furthermore, by operating ‘pop-up stores’ to enhance new product development and marketability, the district aims to strengthen startup capabilities. It also utilizes the Youth Self-Support Project Group (convenience store business group) to provide experience in employment and entrepreneurship, and continuously establishes and operates ‘Youth Stores,’ incubating spaces for youth startups by industry, offering opportunities for store startup and management.
In particular, from this year, the district actively engages in the ‘Campus Town Development Project’ transferred to the Youth Policy Division. At Kwangwoon University Campus Town, efforts will focus on creating a youth startup valley in the northeastern area centered on robotics, energy, and ICT fields, while at Samyook and Seoul Women’s University Campus Towns, new spaces centered on the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail Park will be developed using cultural content.
What are the strategies for establishing and supporting a youth safety net?
Next, under the 'Youth Safety Net Establishment Strategy,' focusing on housing, education, welfare, and culture, 3.149 billion KRW will be invested to promote 24 projects.
Following the completion of a transit-oriented youth housing complex (270 units) near Taereungipgu Station in 2021, the district plans to complete 100 youth housing units this year on four plots including 684-41 Gongneung-dong.
Moreover, rental housing for youth will continue to be built near transit stations such as ▲Suraksan Station (in front of Noil Elementary and Middle Schools), ▲Nowon Station (Sanggye-dong 690), and ▲Kwangwoon University Station (Wolgye-dong 410-3 and Wolgye-dong 390-35 plus four other plots), promoting stable local settlement for youth.
Additionally, through operating the Nowon Youth Policy Academy, the district strives to nurture youth leaders and discover policy agendas. It also strengthens youth self-reliance capabilities through education programs such as ▲Youth Startup Capacity Building Coaching Classes, ▲Specialized High School Employment Capacity Enhancement Projects, and ▲Data Activist Training.
Furthermore, the district will continuously operate the Work-Life Center, which provides work experience opportunities for unemployed youth and fosters networks among single-person household youth. It will also hold youth festivals that unite young people, activate the Youth Sharing Center for item lending and talent-sharing programs, operate Culture Salon 5120, support cultural living expenses for youth in their 20s, and continue youth mental health projects, paying special attention to youth welfare and culture.
What is the strategy for establishing a foundation for youth participation and activities?
Finally, under the 'Youth Participation and Activity Foundation Strategy,' 607 million KRW will be invested to promote seven projects.
The district will operate the ‘Youth Policy Governance Center,’ the first of its kind in Seoul, to further develop the existing four-year youth policy governance. The goal is to realize public-private cooperation through a series of processes including youth-led policy issue discovery, proposal, and implementation, and to strengthen the network.
Furthermore, the district plans to hold forums on youth interest agendas to build consensus on youth issues and advance youth policy agendas.
Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “Last year, the district established the second dedicated youth policy department among Seoul’s autonomous districts and promoted various projects in jobs, housing, welfare, and culture. The various attempts in the first year received favorable reviews from youth as ‘diverse and detailed’ and ‘sincere about youth policy.’ We will continue these efforts this year to operate policies that promote youth inflow and settlement.”
Nowon-gu Youth Policy Division
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