Incheon City is providing customized vocational training opportunities for overseas Koreans who wish to settle in Korea, tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The city announced on the 14th that it is recruiting operating institutions for the '2025 Vocational Training for Vacant Jobs in SMEs' until the 28th. This project was selected in January by the Overseas Koreans Office's 'Regional Overseas Korean Settlement Support Contest' and will be implemented for the first time this year.
The operating institutions will conduct surveys on job openings and job seekers among SMEs and overseas Koreans, recruit participating companies and trainees, provide customized vocational skill development training, and support employment. They plan to offer vocational training for 30 people across two courses to facilitate practical employment connections.
The city expects this project to alleviate difficulties faced by SMEs by connecting them with overseas Koreans who hope for stable settlement, providing customized vocational training and job matching, thereby revitalizing the local economy.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Justice, the number of vacant jobs in Incheon has significantly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic (5,816 in 2020 → 11,772 last year), and the number of foreign workers rose from 8,451 in the first quarter of 2022 to 12,600 in the first quarter of last year.
Additionally, the number of overseas Koreans with foreign nationality who have registered their residence increased from 30,190 in 2020 to 43,637 last year, with 95.8% of them expressing a desire to continue residing in Korea.
An official from Incheon City stated, "As the number of SMEs employing foreign workers continues to rise, we will address the issue of vacant jobs by providing vocational training targeting overseas Koreans, who have relatively free economic activity. Since this is the first year of the project, we will carefully evaluate its outcomes and consider expanding the program."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
