Fostering Practical Talent, Connecting University Students to Employment, and Enhancing Corporate Competitiveness
Reflecting University and Corporate Needs: Seasonal Semesters Allowed, Diverse Academic Formats
Strengthening the Link Between Internships and Employment... Recruitment Period Moved Up Compared to Last Year
Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Hyungjoon), in collaboration with the Busan Economic Promotion Agency, will revamp and operate the 2025 Busan Waterloo-type Co-Op Program to foster practical talent, support university student employment connections, and strengthen the competitiveness of local companies.
The Co-Op (Co-Operative Education) Program is a curriculum that alternates between academic semesters and field practice semesters, allowing students to acquire both practical skills and theoretical knowledge.
The Busan Waterloo-type Co-Op Program is a localized field practice support project based on the practical talent development program of the University of Waterloo in Canada, tailored to suit the local circumstances of Busan.
This is an industry-academia linked curriculum that selects outstanding third- and fourth-year students from local universities majoring in Busan’s strategic or emerging industries, alternating between academic and practical semesters to nurture job-ready, practical talent who can be immediately employed in the field.
This year, reflecting the needs of universities and companies, the program will be restructured from the previous model, which was only operated during the second semester of the third and fourth years, to allow for seasonal semesters. This enables universities and companies to operate field practice programs in various long- and short-term semester formats as desired.
Through this program, Busan City plans to cultivate local university students into talents equipped with field experience and practical skills at the level demanded by industry. It is expected that long-term field practice will further expand employment linkage opportunities.
Additionally, the company recruitment period has been moved up by one month compared to last year, providing students with ample time to understand the companies and job roles for field practice before interviews.
The city will produce and distribute company and job information materials to introduce excellent local companies to students, help students understand job roles, and provide opportunities for students to assess their own competencies.
With the program revision, the city will select at least four operating universities through a public contest, and will support field practice for up to six months per academic year by linking students selected by each university with companies identified by the Promotion Agency.
Companies linked with students will receive a practical training support fee of 2 million KRW per student per month, and up to 10 million KRW in company project support funds (for student-participating company projects only). Dedicated mentors will receive a monthly mentor allowance of 150,000 KRW.
Universities or companies wishing to participate may submit application documents starting from the 14th. Universities must submit by 4:00 PM on April 25, and companies by 4:00 PM on May 16, via email to the Busan Economic Promotion Agency.
To increase participation and understanding of the project, Busan City will also conduct on-site business briefings, including customized Q&A sessions, by visiting universities that request consulting.
Kim Guiok, Director of Youth-Industry Cooperation at Busan Metropolitan City, said, "Since planning and officially operating this program in 2023, we have seen tangible results such as an increase in participating students, expansion of participating companies, and employment linkage outcomes," adding, "We hope this will be an opportunity for university students to newly discover the strengths of local companies, strengthen their practical skills, and settle stably in the region."
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