Governor Kim Jintae: "Gangwon Province Will Become the Center for Semiconductor Talent Development in Korea"

Gangwon Province to Train 450 AI and Semiconductor Convergence Specialists by 2029
Inauguration Ceremony for AI and Semiconductor Convergence Workforce Training Held at Gangwon National University Future Library
Business Agreement Signed with Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Korea Productivity Center, and Gangwon National University

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jintae) announced on October 15 that it held the inauguration ceremony for the "AI and Semiconductor Convergence Specialized Workforce Training" at the Future Library of Gangwon National University and plans to train 450 specialists by 2029.

Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, and other attendees are taking a commemorative photo after holding the inauguration ceremony for the "AI and Semiconductor Convergence Specialized Workforce Training" at the Future Library of Gangwon National University on the 15th. Provided by Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Kim Jintae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province; Jae-Yeon Jung, President of Gangwon National University, the host institution; Seung-Chan Bang, President of the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI); and Sung-Jung Park, Chairman of the Korea Productivity Center (KPC), among other key officials from the participating organizations.

This "AI and Semiconductor Convergence Specialized Workforce Training" program is a project involving top-tier institutions in Korea, including the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and the Korea Productivity Center (KPC), and will be carried out over five years until 2029.

In addition, the province, Gangwon National University, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, and the Korea Productivity Center signed an agreement to share human and material resources in order to establish an AI and semiconductor industry ecosystem, and to continuously pursue the discovery of new government-funded projects, attract companies, and foster specialized talent.

Beginning in October, the Korea Productivity Center (KPC) will offer training for the "DSAC (Data Scientist Ability Certification) and AI System Semiconductor Cluster ASAT (AI System Semiconductor Application Specialist Certification)." This program aims to effectively train AI-based data scientists and AI system semiconductor application specialists. The training will be conducted online over six weeks (six courses, 180 hours).

Kim Jintae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, is delivering a greeting at the launch ceremony of the "AI and Semiconductor Convergence Professional Training Program" held at the Future Library of Kangwon National University on the 15th. Provided by Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province

Students who complete the program will receive a certificate of completion issued by the Korea Productivity Center (KPC). Those who pass the qualification and certification tests after completion will obtain two certifications: DSAC and ASAT.

Starting in 2026, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) will also offer "Embedded SW Customized Training" for semiconductor design in parallel, with the goal of training 100 specialists annually.

Gangwon National University, the host institution, recruited trainees from September 15 to 26 for 12 days, targeting university students, students on leave of absence, and job seekers in the province. As a result, 55 trainees were selected, exceeding the target of 50.

Despite being the first year of the program, there was a high level of interest from students in the province. Among the applicants, 40 (73%) were third- and fourth-year university students, graduate students, and job seekers, indicating strong interest from those preparing for employment.

Jin-Tae Kim, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (left), is signing an agreement with Jae-Yeon Jung, President of Gangwon National University, Seung-Chan Bang, President of Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), and Sung-Jung Park, Chairman of Korea Productivity Center (KPC) to establish an AI and semiconductor industry ecosystem. Provided by Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province

Kim Jintae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, stated, "Today marks the official launch of the tenth national project in the semiconductor field. So far, a total of 230 billion won has been invested, and Gangwon National University is participating in four out of ten projects, including the Semiconductor Joint Research Institute and specialized universities."

He added, "With the Korea Productivity Center (KPC) joining us today, I expect Gangwon Province to become the central hub for semiconductor talent development in Korea."