Labor Ministry vice minister attends ceremony; five top trainees receive minister's commendation

Hyundai Autoever, Lotte Innovate among hiring companies as AI-focused curriculum pays off

Program to expand through K-Digital Training and K-New Deal Academy initiatives

Oh Ji-young, head of Woori Bank's financial consumer protection group (front row, far left), poses with participants and award winners of the AI-Financial Consumer Protection Idea Competition at Woori Bank's headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, on June 5. [Yonhap]
Oh Ji-young, head of Woori Bank's financial consumer protection group (front row, far left), poses with participants and award winners of the AI-Financial Consumer Protection Idea Competition at Woori Bank's headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, on June 5. [Yonhap]

A total of 925 graduates completed the 14th cohort of the Samsung Software and AI Academy (SSAFY), a youth software and AI training program operated by Samsung Electronics and supported by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Of those, 259 secured jobs at major companies — including Hyundai Autoever and Lotte Innovate — before the program concluded.

Vice Minister Kwon Chang-jun attended the graduation ceremony held Tuesday at Multicampus in Seoul, where he presented the minister's commendation to five outstanding trainees — one selected from each of the program's five regional campuses in Seoul, Daejeon, Gwangju, Gumi and the Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongnam area.

SSAFY is a youth software and AI education program run by Samsung Electronics. The Ministry of Employment and Labor has supported it since signing an MOU in 2018, providing promotional assistance and employment services. Since 2022, the ministry has also covered training costs for participants at regional campuses through the K-Digital Training project. Trainees complete a hands-on curriculum spanning basic programming through real-world projects to build practical skills.

The 14th cohort's curriculum was strengthened to address the broader AI transformation underway across industries, with greater emphasis on AI application skills and project-based learning. That enhanced focus contributed to 259 of the total graduates finding employment before completing the program.

The government plans to keep expanding its AI talent development model, which combines private-sector training expertise with public policy support. It has finished selecting companies to participate in the K-New Deal Academy — introduced through a supplementary budget — and is now recruiting young applicants. The ministry also plans to push ahead with the K-Digital Training "AI Campus," which trains workers for core roles such as AI engineering, alongside the "Future Tomorrow Work Experience" project.

"In the AI era, competitiveness comes from people who can build AI, work with it and apply it on the ground," Vice Minister Kwon said. "We will continue driving AI talent development policies so that young people can see AI not as something to fear, but as a new opportunity."


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