Korea Tech University, Labor Ministry select 8 standout cases in STEP learning contest
Generative AI applied to beauty education, railway vehicle analysis
After graduating high school and joining a small company, Jung Seon-woo studied mechanical engineering, electrical systems and industrial safety on the job, earning 11 nationally recognized certifications. Jung applied those skills to daily work and job preparation, moved to a public enterprise in a mechanical role, served as a local government official, and then passed the national civil service exam in the industrial safety field. That journey earned Jung the Minister of Employment and Labor Award at this year's STEP learning excellence contest.
Korea University of Technology and Education's Online Lifelong Education Institute held the "2026 STEP Learning Excellence Contest" awards ceremony Friday at Dragon City Seoul in partnership with the Ministry of Employment and Labor. From 60 submissions received between Aug. 24 and Sept. 20, organizers selected one top prize, two excellence prizes and five encouragement prizes.
Jung, who took the top prize, spent the years from 2016 to 2024 selecting fields relevant to the job, organizing what was learned and applying it directly to work. Jung now holds a concurrent-employment approval to work as a career consultant and instructor, sharing that experience with job seekers. Participation as a STEP supporter and the sharing of study tips also drew high marks from judges.
The excellence prize — the Korea University of Technology and Education President's Award — went to Kim Eun-ha and Han Yeong-beom, who each applied generative AI to beauty education and railway operations, respectively. Kim, an instructor at a vocational beauty training institution, incorporated AI question-design and response-refinement techniques learned through STEP lectures into customer consultation sessions and presentation classes. Kim restructured lessons so students had to explain the reasoning behind their practical decisions, raising learners' competency achievement scores by 56.2 percentage points, the university said.
Han took an AI-based data analysis course and then developed a tool to analyze the reliability of railway vehicles, deploying it at the worksite. The project allowed frontline workers to carry out analytical tasks that had previously been handled only by a designated specialist.
Five people received encouragement prizes, including Yu Gyeong-hun, who interned at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology and reduced analysis errors in water treatment processes while creating a standard operating manual. Other recognized cases included workers who used AI to improve classes and training-institution operations, and those who systematized experience gained at construction and facilities sites to solve problems and enhance vocational training.
STEP is a free online vocational training platform open to anyone — employed or job-seeking — after registration. It offers more than 2,500 learning content items spanning technology and engineering, AI and liberal arts.
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