by REERA YOO | @reeraboo
editor@charactermedia.com
The South Korean government announced on Monday that it will revamp its job creation network to help young people find jobs overseas in order to combat the country’s high youth unemployment rate, reports Yonhap News Agency.
According to Statistics Korea, two-thirds of Koreans aged 25 -34 possess college degrees. However, South Korea’s unemployment rate among young adults in their 20s and 30s with no previous job experience has reached the highest level in more than 12 years. The overall unemployment for those aged 15-29 stood also reached a 14-year high last year.
On Monday, the finance ministry said it plans to overhaul its current K-Move program, a job creation network dedicated to connecting young Koreans to employment opportunities in foreign countries, and aims to find at least 10,000 overseas positions for young adults in 2017. That’s 5,000 more jobs than the government pledged last year.
The existing version of the K-Move program has previously been criticized for recommending unfavorable jobs to Korean applicants. The ministry said it will maintain a database on job opportunities and include information on how to seek jobs in the 15 foreign countries, including the United States, China, Brazil and the Netherlands, on the K-Move website.
The South Korean government is also negotiating with other nations to get them to accept Korean trade certifications, hoping to create more diverse job opportunities overseas. While certain countries only accept Korean nursing and some medical licenses, China hires some professionals with certificates in information technology.
See Also
Young South Koreans Finding That Degrees Don’t Translate to Jobs
The Future of South Korea’s Young Career Women Remains Uncertain
South Korea’s Labor Ministry Under Fire for Sexist Career Advice
___
Featured image via worldjob.co.kr
