Pohang Heunghaegongop High School Designated as Specialized Secondary School for Secondary Battery Industry... 10.3 Billion Won Invested in Talent Development

Recruiting 140 New Students Next Year

Lim Jongshik: "We Will Create a Success Model"

Gyeongbuk Office of Education (Superintendent Lim Jong-sik) announced on the 27th that Pohang Heunghae Technical High School in Pohang has been designated as a partnership-type specialized high school in the secondary battery sector through the Ministry of Education's partnership-type specialized high school project selection.

In January of this year, the Ministry of Education announced a partnership-type specialized high school policy under the slogan "Schools Designed Together with the Community" to foster local talent who will settle, work, and live in their regions (education-employment-settlement).

Gyeongbuk Office of Education

A partnership-type specialized high school is a school where students receive education linked to local companies, and opportunities for local employment and growth are expanded. This is achieved by forming a consortium through agreements among the Office of Education, specialized high schools, local governments, and local companies, to provide customized education tailored to regional needs.

A total of 37 specialized high schools from 15 provincial and metropolitan offices of education nationwide participated in the project selection. After document and in-person evaluations by the Ministry of Education's selection committee, which consisted of industry and regional experts, 10 specialized high schools from 9 regions were finally selected.

Pohang Heunghae Technical High School applied with the vision of "Fostering Industry-Demand Customized Professionals in the Secondary Battery Sector" and was selected as a project school. The Ministry of Education plans to select 25 more schools by 2027, operating a total of 35 schools.

Since January, Pohang Heunghae Technical High School has established a governance system among the Office of Education, Pohang City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, POSCO Future M Co., Ltd., EcoPro Materials Co., Ltd., and a total of 52 related organizations through business agreements. The school has focused on developing customized and advanced talent in the secondary battery sector in collaboration with companies and universities.

The contents of each institution's agreement are as follows: (Office of Education) support for curriculum autonomy and budget; (Pohang City, Gyeongsangbuk-do) discovering companies, financial support, and settlement support through various youth policies; (Companies) field training and recruitment linkage with 34 companies, including 32 secondary battery-related companies such as POSCO Future M and EcoPro Materials, as well as curriculum support using company facilities and equipment; (Universities) support for fostering advanced talent by matching vocational high school curricula and certifications with university courses through participation in the Gyeongbuk-type lifelong vocational education program; (Related organizations) support for education using equipment and facilities in the secondary battery sector in cooperation with Pohang Technopark, POMIA, POSTECH Secondary Battery Integrated Management Center, Secondary Battery Integrated Management Center, and Korea Productivity Center.

Through its selection as a partnership-type specialized high school, Pohang Heunghae Technical High School plans to recruit a total of 140 students in seven classes in March next year: two classes in Mechanical Facilities, two classes in Secondary Battery System Control, and three classes in Secondary Battery Electrical Facilities.

Additionally, a total budget of 10.37 billion KRW will be invested in the opening, operation, and establishment of the partnership-type specialized high school: 4.5 billion KRW from the Ministry of Education, 4 billion KRW from Gyeongbuk Office of Education, 1.5 billion KRW from Pohang City, 270 million KRW from Gyeongsangbuk-do, and 100 million KRW from Pohang Institute of Metal Material Industry Promotion.

In preparation for the opening next year, the school is systematically preparing to attract outstanding students interested in the secondary battery sector by establishing equipment and facilities for the secondary battery curriculum, providing training for specialized teachers, designing student growth pathways, and conducting promotional activities.

Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Office of Education, stated, "Through close cooperation with Pohang Heunghae Technical High School, Pohang City, secondary battery companies, and related organizations, we will create a successful model where early employment, further learning, and settlement are achieved in the region. We will also actively support the selection of excellent specialized high schools linked to strategic industries in the Gyeongbuk region as partnership-type specialized high schools in 2025."