A New Chapter as an Export Consultant After Professional Training at the Senior Tomorrow Center

Surging Demand for Reemployment Among People in Their 50s in the Super-Aged Society
Significant Results in Connecting Job Seekers and Companies... 36% Increase in Matched Employment

Kang Youngsoo (55, pseudonym), who built a decades-long career in the overseas sales division of a major corporation, recently received an offer to join a domestic small and medium-sized enterprise as an export specialist. Returning to the workforce a year after his retirement, he said, "I will devote myself fully to ensuring successful exports to various countries going forward."

The key factor in Kang's reemployment was the "Overseas Professional Talent Export Company Advisory Program" operated by the Senior Tomorrow Center of the Korea Management Innovation Small and Medium Business Association (MainBiz Association). This program helps mid-to-senior level overseas professionals with more than 10 years of experience in fields such as overseas sales and logistics to complete advisory skills training, and then matches them with export companies. Through this matching, they provide practical support such as discovering buyers and assisting with overseas market entry.

An official from the Senior Tomorrow Center explained on the 25th, "A total of 60 people applied for this program, and 12 were ultimately selected, completed the training, and were matched with 12 export companies." He added, "Many small and medium-sized enterprises lack systematic structures, but satisfaction is high when experts with extensive overseas experience from major corporations are brought in."

Job seekers are attending the "Second Training Session on Overseas Professional Advisory Capabilities" at the Senior Tomorrow Center located in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 5th. MainBiz Association

With the life expectancy of Koreans rising and a strong willingness to work, the reemployment of early-retired people in their 50s has become a major social issue. This year, Korea officially entered a super-aged society, with more than 20% of the total population aged 65 or older. In particular, 9.54 million members of the second baby boomer generation (born 1964-1974) are found to retire from their main jobs at an average age of 52.8.

In line with this trend, the number of job seekers visiting the Senior Tomorrow Center has increased significantly, as seen in Kang's case. This year, 9,214 job seekers visited the center, up 17% from the previous year. Of these, 3,053 successfully found reemployment. Notably, the number of people who secured jobs through direct matching between companies and job seekers by the center reached 896, marking a 36% surge compared to the previous year.

The case of Choi Boram (56, pseudonym), who recently found reemployment as a career counselor, is a prime example. With 20 years of experience as an assistant writer at a broadcasting company, she left her job three years ago to care for her parents, resulting in a career break. During that time, she obtained various certifications using the Naeil Learning Card, but faced setbacks due to the long gap in her work history. Through counseling at the Senior Tomorrow Center, she was connected with Sangsangwoori, a mid-to-senior friendly company, and was able to start a new career as a career counselor.

Job seekers are attending interviews at the Senior Tomorrow Center located in Jung-gu, Seoul, on September 10. Main-Biz Association

The Senior Tomorrow Center, located within the Seoul Employment Welfare Plus Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, is operated by the MainBiz Association under commission from the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Anyone aged 40 or older can receive counseling, training, and employment support services here. Since its opening in May 2018, the center has been rated S grade (top institution) four times in the Ministry of Employment and Labor's institutional evaluations over its six years of operation.

The center also collaborated with the Seoul Employment Center this year to identify 266 new companies for recruitment. As a result of operating the "Tomorrow Connection Package" service with 40 of these companies, a total of 24 hires were made across 15 companies. The "Tomorrow Connection Package" is a personalized job matching service introduced by the Ministry of Employment and Labor to support people in their 50s facing employment difficulties. In addition, as the era of artificial intelligence (AI) arrives, the center plans to support reemployment and job transitions by connecting mid-to-senior talent who have completed AI training in various fields such as services, manufacturing, and construction with companies.

Kim Myungjin, President of the MainBiz Association, said, "The mid-to-senior generation has abundant experience and expertise, making them capable of playing diverse roles in small and medium-sized enterprises, including technology, management, and mentoring. The association will also actively strive to ensure that outstanding talent with many years of practical experience and capabilities can be hired by small and medium-sized enterprises."