More Than Half of Forestry and Plant Protection Certificate Holders Are in Their 50s or Older
High Employment Rate... 70% for Those Aged 60 and Above
On October 15, 2024, job seekers are lining up to receive employment counseling at the '2024 Hope Happiness Future Job Fair' held at the FKI Tower in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun
People in their 50s and 60s preparing for retirement have been flocking to national qualifications in the forestry and plant protection fields, resulting in a continuous increase in the number of test takers over the past five years. Notably, the employment rate of the 50s and 60s age groups after obtaining these qualifications was even higher than that of younger generations, drawing attention. The employment rate for those aged 60 and above reached an impressive 70%.
On the 3rd, the Human Resources Development Service of Korea under the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced the status of applications and acquisitions for six national technical qualifications in the forestry and plant protection fields as of 2023, in celebration of Arbor Day. The statistics analyzed four forestry qualifications (Forestry Engineer, Forestry Technician, Forestry Industrial Engineer, Forestry Craftsman) and two national technical qualifications in plant protection (Plant Protection Engineer, Plant Protection Industrial Engineer).
The average annual growth rate of applicants in forestry and plant protection over the past five years was 5.4%. The number of certificate holders also increased by an average of 6.2% annually. The qualification with the highest growth rate was the Plant Protection Industrial Engineer, with an average annual increase of 11.4% in applicants. Based on certificate holders, the Forestry Craftsman qualification increased by an average of 9.9% annually. In particular, following the 2018 revision of the Forest Protection Act, which introduced the 'Tree Hospital and Tree Doctor System,' only certified tree doctors are allowed to perform tree medical treatments, leading to increased interest among workers and prospective workers seeking to qualify as tree doctors.
On October 15, 2024, job seekers visiting the '2024 Hope Happiness Future Job Fair' held at the FKI Tower in Yeouido, Seoul, are filling out job application forms. Photo by Jo Yongjun
According to a survey of certificate holders, 55.9% of those who obtained qualifications in forestry and plant protection were aged 50 or older. Except for the Plant Protection Engineer qualification, the majority of certificate holders in all qualifications were aged 50 and above. Regarding economic activity status at the time of application, employed wage workers accounted for the largest share at 36.6%. The primary purpose for taking the exam was 'employment,' at 43%. It is analyzed that employed individuals aged 50 and above are obtaining these qualifications for reemployment after retirement.
The employment rate of certificate holders aged 50 and above was also high. Looking at the employment rate in 2024 (July, based on employment insurance) for those who obtained qualifications in 2023, the employment rate for those in their 50s was 48%, and for those aged 60 and above, it was 69.6%, which was higher than that of those aged 40 and below. Lee Woo-young, Director of the Human Resources Development Service of Korea, stated, "We will continue to operate national technical qualification systems that help various industrial sectors and open a renaissance era of certifications."
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