Triangular Collaboration Among Local Educational Institutions, Companies, and Government
Laying the Foundation for a "City Where Youth Stay" by Preventing Youth Outflow
Gumi City in North Gyeongsang Province has officially launched the "Gumi Youth Local Settlement Internship" program to prevent the outflow of young people and encourage them to settle in the region.
Kim Jangho, mayor of Gumi, is giving a greeting ahead of the Gumi Youth Local Settlement Internship Agreement Ceremony with 18 key institutions including major educational institutions and promising companies in the district. Photo by Kwon Byunggun
On July 11, at the City Hall's third-floor main conference room, the city took its first steps toward realizing its vision of becoming a "city where youth do not leave" by establishing a practical connection system that enables young talent to learn, work, and stay in the region.
Recently, Gumi City signed an agreement for the "Gumi Youth Local Settlement Internship" with 18 institutions, including major educational institutions, promising companies, and related organizations in the area.
Participating institutions include local educational organizations such as Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Kyungwoon University, Gumi University, Gumi Electronics Technical High School, and Kumoh Technical High School, as well as companies such as Hanwha Systems, Orient Precision, Wontex, and the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Book Design Promotion Agency.
This agreement goes beyond a simple internship, focusing on building a multidimensional employment linkage system designed to help young people settle in the region.
Educational institutions will recommend outstanding talent and provide hands-on work experience linked to academic credits, while companies will improve working conditions with the intention of actual employment through internships. Gumi City will support the entire process with administrative and financial assistance to ensure the program takes root.
Gumi City stated, "Although many young people build professional competencies each year through local universities and specialized high schools, the reality is that a significant number leave for the Seoul metropolitan area or other regions immediately after graduation. There is an urgent need for policy design to narrow the 'gaps' caused by lack of information and broken opportunities."
This project aims to go beyond a simple 'meeting' between youth and companies, seeking to establish an advanced talent-matching structure that connects on-site experience, regular employment, and eventual local settlement.
In particular, participating youth will receive tangible benefits such as academic credit recognition, employment linkage, and living expense support, while companies will be given incentives for securing outstanding talent and contributing to the region.
Through this initiative, Gumi City plans to encourage local youth to view excellent local companies not as "distant options" but as "realistic career goals."
Kim Jangho, mayor of Gumi, emphasized, "This internship is not just about providing jobs; it is a policy to give young people a reason to stay in Gumi. When youth settle, companies thrive, and when companies thrive, the region can be sustained. I will make Gumi a 'city that is good for running businesses and a city where young people stay.'"
If this program is successfully established, it is expected to attract attention as a "Gumi-style youth-company linkage model" with the potential for nationwide expansion.
Kim Jangho, mayor of Gumi, is taking a commemorative photo after the Gumi Youth Local Settlement Internship Agreement Ceremony with 18 related organizations, including major educational institutions and promising companies in the district. Photo by Kwon Byunggun
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