Busan Office of Education Ranks 5th Nationwide in Employment Rate of Vocational High School Graduates Within the Region

Ministry of Education and KEDI Announce Employment Statistics for This Year's Graduates

Busan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Ha Yun-su) announced on the 13th that, according to the '2024 Graduate Employment Statistics' survey conducted by the Ministry of Education and the Korea Educational Development Institute (KEDI) targeting 577 vocational high schools nationwide, the proportion of local employment was ranked 5th nationwide at 57.6%.

This proportion rose one rank compared to last year's result of 56.8%, which was ranked 6th nationwide.

The proportion of local employment refers to the ratio of students employed in the location of their alma mater, contributing to the revitalization of local industries and regional settlement, and the survey targeted specialized high schools, Meister high schools, and vocational classes in general high schools.

Among them, the employment rate of 32 specialized high schools in the Busan area rose one rank from 6th to 5th place last year. This is analyzed as a result of the Busan Office of Education's policies to improve employment rates in vocational high schools.

Representative policies include the ‘Industry-Academia Integrated Apprenticeship School Project,’ which allows students to acquire on-site skills and develop social adaptation abilities by alternating between companies and schools from the second year, and the ‘Customized Human Resource Development Project for Small and Medium Enterprises Specialized High Schools,’ which provides tailored intensive training matching the characteristics of the companies where third-year students intend to be employed. Additionally, there is the ‘Global Field Training Support Project,’ which helps students develop global competencies to find employment overseas in countries such as Australia, Singapore, and Germany.

Since 2021, the Office of Education has been collaborating with Busan City to promote the nation’s first ‘Vocational Education Innovation District Project.’ This project is a collaboration between the education office and local government to establish a growth path that leads to regional settlement by enabling vocational high school students to be employed by excellent local companies and providing opportunities for further learning (employment first, then further education).

Through this project, 100 students are selected annually in the fields of ▲smart manufacturing ▲global tourism ▲financial management information ▲life care to provide employment opportunities in excellent local companies and chances for further education.

Efforts are also being made to help specialized high school students develop diverse job skills in the industrial, commercial, and agricultural sectors so they can demonstrate their capabilities in the industrial field. In particular, in response to the rapidly changing era of new technologies and regional industrial demands, a restructuring of the vocational high school system is underway.

In March this year, Seobusan Technical High School was converted and reopened as Busan Aviation High School, laying the foundation for aviation personnel training. In 2025, Haeundae Technical High School will be converted to Busan Naval Science and Technology High School, and in 2026, preparations are underway to open the ‘Global K-POP School,’ focusing on nurturing talent across various vocational fields.

Ha Yun-su, Superintendent of Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, said, “The Office of Education is doing its best to develop vocational high schools and improve students’ employment rates by nurturing talent that meets local industrial demands. We will continue to strive so that our students can find good jobs, settle in the region, and demonstrate their abilities in various industries.”