Change in Eligibility Criteria for Youth District Administration Experience Group...
Increased Budget for Dobong-style Youth Internship Project
Dobong-gu (Mayor Oh Eon-seok), recognized as a leading district in Seoul for youth policies, will continue to implement various tailored projects for young people this year.
Since the 8th term of the elected government, the district has been promoting diverse youth policies to create a young and vibrant city.
Programs such as the three types of ‘Youth Internships’ including overseas internships, ‘Support for Youth’s First Step into Society,’ and ‘Support for Unemployed Youth’s Certification Exam Fees’ are evaluated as policies that truly resonate with young people and have received great responses. Holding meetings and talk concerts with youth and incorporating their opinions into policies have been effective.
In 2023, Dobong-gu attracted nationwide attention by being the first autonomous district in Seoul to raise the upper age limit for youth from 39 to 45 years old.
This year, the district will significantly expand its youth policy projects. For the ‘Youth District Administration Experience Group,’ the application criteria have been greatly broadened. The eligibility, previously limited to university students, has been changed to an age range of ‘19 to 45 years.’ The Youth District Administration Experience Group provides local youth with opportunities for social experience and career exploration. Through participation, young people are assigned to public institutions within the district such as the district office, community service centers, and welfare centers, where they assist with administrative and welfare tasks, gaining diverse job experience across district administration.
The budget will also be increased substantially. The ‘Dobong-style Youth Internship Project’ will receive 450 million KRW, an increase of 180 million KRW from the previous year. The project is divided into three types: public institution internships, corporate practical internships, and overseas internships. This reflects the employment market trend favoring experienced interns and has actually led to employment. Since the project’s inception, two participants have successfully found jobs.
For public institution and corporate internships, the conditions are better than Seoul city standards, providing 100% of the salary (pre-tax 2.46 million KRW per month) for six months based on Dobong-gu’s living wage. Reflecting this, last year’s competition rates for public institution and corporate practical internships were 6:1 and 10:1, respectively.
Mayor Oh Eon-seok stated, “Our district is the only one in Seoul simultaneously running the Youth District Administration Experience Group, public institution youth internships, corporate youth internships, and overseas youth internships. We will continue to support young people in exploring their career paths and securing employment where they desire, and the district will serve as a stepping stone for their successful social entry.”
Additionally, the district runs various other youth policy projects. Representative examples include ‘Support for Youth’s First Step into Society’ and ‘Support for Unemployed Youth’s Exam Fees.’ The ‘Support for Youth’s First Step into Society’ provides up to 200,000 KRW for self-development expenses such as book purchases and course fees to 19-year-old youth. The ‘Support for Unemployed Youth’s Exam Fees’ offers up to 100,000 KRW per person to unemployed youth residing in Dobong-gu for language and certification exam fees.
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