Practical experience available at 273 mid-sized and small firms
Gwangju Metropolitan City is accepting applications for the 20th cohort of its Gwangju Youth Work Experience Dream program, seeking 400 participants for the second half of this year. The recruitment window runs through July 15.
The program is the city's flagship youth employment initiative, designed to help young people explore career paths and develop practical skills across a variety of job fields. Since its launch in 2017, more than 8,390 young people have taken part, gaining hands-on experience at workplaces across the region and building a foundation for employment and career planning.
Applicants must be unemployed residents of Gwangju between the ages of 19 and 39 — born between Aug. 2, 1986, and Aug. 1, 2007 — with a registered address in the city.
Selected participants may choose between two tracks based on their preferences and aptitude: a self-directed track (25 hours per week for five months) or an intensive track (40 hours per week for three months). Participants gain hands-on experience at matched workplaces and receive a monthly wage in line with Gwangju's living wage standard, ranging from 1.74 million won to 2.78 million won (about $1,800) before tax.
Participants also receive a range of development programs, including onboarding education to ease the transition into the workplace, job-specific training, mentoring from industry professionals, and community-linked programs.
The city has designated 273 workplaces as host sites for the 20th cohort, drawn from public institutions, state-owned enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, mid-sized companies, and startups. Key participating organizations include Korea Alps Co., Mudeung Enterprise Co., KBC Gwangju Broadcasting Co., the Gwangju Employers' Federation, the Gwangju Credit Guarantee Foundation, and Chosun University.
Results will be posted July 29 on the South Jeolla-Gwangju Youth Integrated Platform and the Gwangju Youth Work Experience Dream website.
Full details on the recruitment process are available on those sites. Inquiries may be directed to the program's operating body, the Chonnam National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation.
Kwon Yun-suk, head of the city's youth policy division, called the program a valuable opportunity for young people to gain real-world experience and explore their career paths. "We will continue to actively support young people so they can grow through quality work experience in the region and go on to find employment," she said.
sij@heraldcorp.com
