Labor ministry opens week of regional job events for older workers

The labor ministry said Sunday it will hold a week of job and career events for middle-aged workers, expanding its regional employment network to 37 areas from 15 last year.

The 21st Middle-Aged Employment Emphasis Week runs from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, under the slogan "Connecting Regions, Growing the Middle-Aged." Employment centers, regional middle-aged tomorrow centers, local governments and Korea Polytechnics will jointly provide career planning, work experience and vocational training tailored to local industries.

Minister Kim Young-hoon said in a statement that rapid technological change, including artificial intelligence, makes it important for workers to assess their skills and design their careers continuously. "The 21st Middle-Aged Employment Emphasis Week is organized through cooperation among related organizations at the regional level via the middle-aged employment network," Kim said. "We ask for much interest."

The week's centerpiece is a ceremony on Wednesday at the Luna Mielle Grand Hall in Seoul. Choi Myung-chul in the individual category and Marine Construction Co. in the corporate category will receive ministerial awards and present their cases.

Choi, born in 1978, ran Korean and Western restaurants for about 10 years before receiving specialized training for middle-aged workers at a regional career center and Korea Polytechnics, and now works at a semiconductor company. Marine Construction, a cargo packing and inspection company based in Busan's Jung-gu district, was recognized for organizing joint job briefings and training with other local inspection companies that were struggling to hire.

Other events will be held in regions targeting local industries: a tourism-focused job concert in Seoul on Thursday, a job briefing on yard tractor operators in the marine industry in Busan on Friday, and a job concert on the electric vehicle industry in Jeonju on Tuesday. Joint job fairs are planned in Gangseo-gu in Seoul on Wednesday, Ansan on Thursday and Gangneung on Thursday.

Training sessions on artificial intelligence and video editing are also planned, including a beginner video editing course in Seoul on Thursday, an AI career restart program in Incheon on Wednesday and a lecture on AI use in Ulsan on Thursday.