Junggu District in Seoul to Provide "Career Experience Vouchers" to First-Year Middle School Students

Annual Career Experience Voucher Worth 200,000 Won Provided
Affiliated Merchant Recruitment Open Until End of August

On July 22, Jung-gu District in Seoul (Mayor Kim Gilseong) announced that it will provide "Career Experience Vouchers" starting in September to strengthen support for youth-led exploration of future career paths. The district enacted the "Junggu Career Experience Voucher Support Ordinance for Youth in Seoul Metropolitan City," which was promulgated on July 17.

Under this ordinance, Jung-gu plans to provide an annual total of 200,000 won in "Career Experience Vouchers"?100,000 won each in the first and second halves of the year?to first-year middle school students registered as residents in the district, as well as out-of-school youth aged 13.

Kim Gilseong, mayor of Jung-gu, is visiting a school to hold an on-site communication meeting with parents. Provided by Jung-gu.

The district introduced this support in response to the expansion of career-linked education by academic period for middle school students, such as the Free Semester System, aiming to ensure equal opportunities for youth to explore their career paths.

The vouchers can be freely used for a variety of career-related activities, including those in culture and the arts, sports, and reading. Moving beyond the previous focus on "job experience," the district has expanded the scope of eligible activities to include cultural and diverse experiential programs, thereby broadly guaranteeing youth the ability to choose experiences that match their interests and aptitudes.

Before the full implementation of the program, the district is focusing on securing affiliated merchants where the vouchers can be used. Until the end of August, it will prioritize recruiting businesses within the district as affiliated merchants. Through this effort, the district expects to help youth design their futures independently while also revitalizing the local economy, achieving a dual benefit.

Voucher applications will open with the start of the second semester in September, and the vouchers will be provided in card form. This initiative aligns with Jung-gu's consistent direction in education policy. In the "2024 Seoul Survey Urban Policy Index Survey" announced by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in April, Jung-gu ranked first in satisfaction with the educational environment and second in overall education satisfaction.

The district analyzes that the rapid rise in rankings?from 16th and 22nd just two years ago?was due to a shift from elementary-focused support to a balanced policy that covers all school ages, from early childhood to high school students.

To establish an even stronger balanced support system, the district is carefully preparing support measures for middle school students, who had previously been relatively overlooked. In July, the district provided online learning content vouchers to third-year middle school students, among other practical support measures.

Kim Gilseong, mayor of Jung-gu, stated, "We will continue to implement comprehensive policies to bridge career planning and educational gaps so that no youth in Jung-gu is left behind as they grow into the leaders of the future. We will further communicate with parents, students, and education stakeholders on the ground to provide effective, tailored support."

Meanwhile, Mayor Kim has been continuously holding "on-site communication meetings at schools" to reflect voices from the field and promote demand-centered educational administration.