13 graduates hired by aviation firms, 40 enlist as maintenance specialists

600-hour hands-on curriculum also boosts attendance and academic performance

Workers convert a Boeing 777 into a freighter at the IKCS cargo conversion facility inside the advanced aviation complex at Incheon International Airport in Incheon's Yeongjong-gu. [Yonhap]
Workers convert a Boeing 777 into a freighter at the IKCS cargo conversion facility inside the advanced aviation complex at Incheon International Airport in Incheon's Yeongjong-gu. [Yonhap]

A competency-based national technical qualification program in aviation maintenance is translating training into real jobs and military enlistments for students.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Human Resources Development Service of Korea announced Sunday that Gangho Aviation High School won the grand prize at the 2026 Excellence in Course-Evaluation Qualification Training Competition.

Gangho Aviation High School runs a course-evaluation national technical qualification program in aviation industrial engineering, delivering 600 hours of education and training. The course-evaluation qualification system lets students earn credentials by completing a curriculum built around the National Competency Standards and passing both internal and external assessments.

The school's curriculum focuses less on exam preparation and more on building the practical skills needed to perform aircraft maintenance work in the field. Students practice every stage of the maintenance process — from job preparation and carrying out repairs to using tools and equipment, conducting post-work inspections, and managing maintenance records. The program is also structured so students can identify gaps in their competency by task and return to address them.

The hands-on approach also improved student attitudes and academic outcomes. Attendance rates rose, as did performance in other subjects, and more students went on to pursue additional national technical qualifications after earning the aviation industrial engineer credential.

The results extended to employment and career outcomes. Of the 53 students who graduated from the program this year, 13 found jobs at aviation-related companies, including Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The remaining 40 enlisted as aviation maintenance specialists.

The Human Resources Development Service of Korea said it plans to promote best practices in course-evaluation national technical qualifications and support field-tailored qualification systems to help credential holders move into employment and careers.


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