Incheon City will actively implement the "Lifelong Education Voucher Support Program" to help vulnerable groups such as low-income individuals and people with disabilities participate in lifelong learning, and to strengthen the competencies of middle-aged adults undergoing life transitions.
Until now, this program was operated by the Ministry of Education and the National Institute for Lifelong Education. However, starting this year, it has been converted into a region-led initiative managed by 17 cities and provinces nationwide. Incheon City also plans to allocate additional municipal funds to provide more comprehensive and effective lifelong learning support.
The lifelong education voucher is provided in the form of points, with 350,000 won loaded once a year onto an NH Nonghyup (Chaeum) Card for each individual. Recipients can freely choose and enroll in any lifelong learning course they wish. The voucher can be used to pay for tuition and textbook fees at over 3,000 educational institutions registered on the Lifelong Education Voucher website nationwide, including 163 institutions in Incheon.
The support is divided into general vouchers and vouchers for people with disabilities. The general voucher is available to adults aged 19 or older residing in Incheon who are basic livelihood security recipients or belong to the second-lowest income bracket (including recipients of disability allowances or pensions, and those eligible under the Single-Parent Family Support Act). The voucher for people with disabilities can be applied for by anyone aged 19 or older with a disability, regardless of income level. However, an individual cannot receive more than one type of voucher at the same time.
The city plans to support a total of 5,092 people, including 4,472 for the general voucher and 620 for the voucher for people with disabilities. Applications for the general voucher can be made through the Lifelong Education Voucher website, while applications for the voucher for people with disabilities can be submitted via the Bojogeum 24 platform. Detailed information is available on the website of the Incheon Talent Lifelong Education Promotion Agency.
An official from Incheon City stated, "Learners can use the voucher to take various courses such as certification programs, entrepreneurship, language studies, humanities, and artificial intelligence (AI) or digital fields at vocational training centers, lifelong education facilities, and lifelong vocational education academies." The official added, "We will continue to create an environment where people of various ages, vulnerable groups, and socially disadvantaged individuals can continue to learn."
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