Labor ministry announces coaching partnership for students and retirees

The labor ministry said Tuesday that a new partnership will place retired middle-aged people as coaches for polytechnic students to prevent academic dropout and help with career and employment adjustment.

The Seoul branch of the Labor Foundation signed the agreement with Korea Polytechnics Seoul Gangseo Campus and the Korean Coaching Association. The ministry said the scheme would give highly educated retirees with extensive work experience, including former fashion designers and office managers, a new role as professional coaches. The foundation will identify and operate new jobs for middle-aged people to gain work experience as coaches. "This partnership is a new attempt to connect the career assets of middle-aged people with skilled experience in fields young people want to enter to the university setting," said Jo Hee-hyung, head of the Foundation's Seoul branch.

Students in 12 departments, including fashion design and digital content, will be offered one-on-one consultations and group coaching during the 12-week second-semester program. The campus will survey demand in each department and appoint faculty mentors to support the coaches' career guidance.

The Korean Coaching Association will recruit participants, provide specialized training for mental coaches and support their work with faculty mentors. "Coaching is not about giving answers; it is a process of believing that each person has answers within and helping them find their own path," Bae Jae-hoon, president of the Korean Coaching Association, said.

"Even with an excellent curriculum, it is difficult to achieve educational results when students' mental state is unsettled," Hwang Geum-ju, dean of the campus, said. "The school introduced mental coaching to help students overcome anxiety and build the inner strength to move forward on their own, alongside technical skills."