New 'Youth Playground' program to provide job placement and training support for graduates

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Lee Hyung-il visits the Hanwha Academy in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Monday to inspect the K-New Deal Academy's youth talent development program, posing for a photo with participants and officials. [Ministry of Economy and Finance]
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Lee Hyung-il visits the Hanwha Academy in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Monday to inspect the K-New Deal Academy's youth talent development program, posing for a photo with participants and officials. [Ministry of Economy and Finance]

The government plans to expand the K-New Deal Academy — a hands-on vocational training program for young people — to support 50,000 participants next year, five times the current level. It will also launch a new initiative to help graduates find jobs and pursue further training.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Lee Hyung-il announced the plan Monday after meeting with students enrolled in the Hanwha Academy at a cafe in Seoul.

The Hanwha Academy is one of the K-New Deal Academy programs, through which the government and major companies jointly provide young people with practical vocational training.

Lee described the K-New Deal Academy as "a project in which the government and businesses together build a valuable stepping stone to help young people take their first steps into society."

Alongside the expansion to 50,000 participants next year, the government plans to establish a new "Youth Playground" program to provide follow-up support for graduates, including job placement and additional training opportunities.

Lee also visited the Hanwha Academy's Seoul training center on Monday, where he observed a course on AI agent-based service development.

"We will continue to expand the K-New Deal Academy together with related ministries so that more young people can access the kind of practical, industry-driven education that companies are looking for," he said.


fact0514@heraldcorp.com