201 departments across 39 campuses nationwide; applications open through mid-March next year

Programs support youth employment in emerging industries and career re-entry for middle-aged workers; job placement rate at 74.4%

A class for the middle-aged specialized program is held at the Future Automotive Department of Korea Polytechnics' Seoul Jeongsu Campus. [Korea Polytechnics]
A class for the middle-aged specialized program is held at the Future Automotive Department of Korea Polytechnics' Seoul Jeongsu Campus. [Korea Polytechnics]

Korea Polytechnics is recruiting students for its 2027 academic year vocational education programs, designed to help young people enter emerging industries and assist middle-aged workers in returning to the workforce. Tuition for all programs is fully covered by government funding, and participants also receive a training allowance.

The school announced Monday that applications for new students across 201 departments at 39 campuses nationwide will be accepted from Sunday through mid-March next year. Programs are divided into three tracks — Professional Skills, Hi-Tech and Middle-Aged Specialized — based on applicants' age, educational background and work experience.

The Professional Skills program is open to job seekers aged 15 and older, regardless of education level or work history, with 2,390 spots available. The 10-month course builds practical job skills tailored to regional industry demand.

The Hi-Tech program targets unemployed graduates of two-year colleges or higher, as well as career changers aged 39 or younger, with 2,100 seats on offer. Over 10 months, participants receive advanced training in emerging fields such as semiconductors, AI and robotics. The track is aimed at young people looking to deepen their existing expertise or pivot to a new career path.

The Middle-Aged Specialized program, for those 40 and older, is a four-month course designed to support re-employment and career transitions. A total of 1,500 students are selected in two rounds — one each in the first and second halves of the year — so applicants can time their enrollment around retirement or a job change.

Some graduates have already used the programs to reinvent their careers. Seo Sang-won, 38, who studied business administration and worked at an overseas branch of an airline, enrolled in the Cloud Security Department of the Hi-Tech program at the Daejeon campus. While studying, Seo earned seven certifications, including a Certified Information Security Professional qualification, and went on to join an information security firm.

Shin Yong-sik, 42, who served for 24 years as a non-commissioned officer in the Marine Corps, completed an electrical engineering course in the Middle-Aged Specialized program at the Pohang campus and obtained an electrical technician license. Combining that credential with facility management experience gained during military service, Shin was rehired last month as an electrical worker at the North Gyeongsang Province Culture and Tourism Corporation.

According to Korea Polytechnics, the combined job placement rate for the Professional Skills and Hi-Tech programs stood at 74.4 percent among graduates who completed their courses in February this year. The sustained employment rate — the share of graduates who remained employed for a set period after being hired — reached 89.1 percent. The placement rate for the Middle-Aged Specialized program was 64.8 percent.

Further details on enrollment are available on the Korea Polytechnics website.


fact0514@heraldcorp.com