Samsung Youth SW·AI Academy recruits 17th cohort

Curriculum shifts from programming languages to hands-on AI training

AI application and physical AI tracks introduced

Applications open Oct. 26; classes begin in January

A recruitment poster for the 17th cohort of Samsung SSAFY [Samsung Electronics]
A recruitment poster for the 17th cohort of Samsung SSAFY [Samsung Electronics]

Samsung Electronics is overhauling the curriculum of its Samsung Youth SW·AI Academy, known as SSAFY, to focus on practical AI skills — and is recruiting its largest cohort ever.

Samsung Electronics announced Monday that applications for the 17th SSAFY cohort will be accepted from Oct. 26 through Nov. 9. The centerpiece of the revamped program is a shift away from programming-language fundamentals toward building hands-on AI capabilities.

SSAFY is a corporate social responsibility program Samsung Electronics runs to strengthen young job seekers' competitiveness. It combines specialized software and AI education with employment support services.

Starting with the 17th cohort, the curriculum will be divided into two tracks based on each student's career goals and interests: an AI application track and a physical AI track.

The AI application track focuses on developing AI services and AI agents for use in real-world industry settings. The physical AI track centers on on-device AI and robotics technology, training students to build AI systems that integrate sensor control and hardware.

The share of AI-related instruction has also expanded significantly. Of the program's total 1,725 hours, approximately 70 percent — 1,205 hours — will be devoted to AI learning.

Faculty from major domestic universities, including Seoul National University, Yonsei University and KAIST, contributed to the curriculum design. Students will also receive free access to hands-on infrastructure such as high-performance GPU servers and 3D printers.

Applicants must be unemployed youth aged 29 or under who have graduated or are expected to graduate from a university or a designated Meister high school in South Korea.

Selected students will train for one year beginning in January at five campuses nationwide — Seoul, Daejeon, Gwangju, Gumi and Busan. Tuition is fully covered, and students receive a monthly stipend of 1 million won ($747).

Job placement support will run alongside the coursework, including one-on-one consultations with dedicated employment consultants, job fairs, mentoring by Samsung employees and entrepreneurship camps.

Since launching its first class in December 2018, SSAFY has produced more than 11,000 graduates through its 13th cohort, of whom 9,396 have found employment — a placement rate of roughly 85 percent. When students who secured jobs before completing the program are included, the cumulative number of employed alumni exceeds 10,000.

Corporate demand for SSAFY graduates continues to grow. More than 185 companies currently offer SSAFY alumni preferential hiring benefits such as exemptions from document screening or bonus points in the evaluation process.


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