Government expands vocational training support for military personnel, from AI education to Polytech programs

The government is expanding vocational training support to help military personnel translate skills gained during service into employment and career development after discharge.

The plan calls for a range of workforce development programs — from online AI education to the National Tomorrow Learning Card and Korea Polytechnic University's Hi-Tech courses — to strengthen servicemembers' job competencies and ease their transition into civilian life.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor introduced the initiative Thursday through the June edition of its monthly "Vocational Competency Policy" series, timed to coincide with the month dedicated to honoring national defense and veterans. The edition highlights workforce development programs available to current and former military personnel, along with real-world success stories.

The ministry said military service goes beyond defending the country — it is also a process through which personnel build a wide range of job competencies, including a sense of responsibility, teamwork, on-the-ground responsiveness, equipment operation and safety management. The government has accordingly put in place a system that supports skills development during service and career preparation after discharge.

A prime example is STEP, an online vocational education platform that offers training content across fields including AI, machinery, and electrical and electronic engineering, allowing active-duty troops to learn without restrictions on time or location.

Army officer Kim Seon-ung, who had no background in the field, consistently studied AI and data through STEP and applied that knowledge to research on an army risk-assessment support system and to policy proposals. He later published a paper and obtained a data analysis certification.

This year, the ministry plans to roll out 24 courses on STEP in sequence — ranging from foundational AI offerings such as "Understanding AI and Data" and "Understanding AI and Security" to job-specific AI application courses including "Machine Safety Management and AI-Based Risk Analysis" and "Electrical Safety Risk Analysis and Accident Prediction AI."

Re-employment support for servicemembers approaching discharge and career military personnel is also being expanded.

Korea Polytechnic University's Hi-Tech program offers hands-on training in advanced industries including AI, semiconductors and information and communications technology. Jeong Seon-ho, who served as a naval officer for 11 years, completed the program before his discharge and now works at Korail Tech in an ICT role, maintaining railway emergency broadcast reception equipment. Despite having no prior background in the field, he successfully entered a new industry through the program's practice-centered curriculum.

Conscripted soldiers and career military personnel can also use the National Tomorrow Learning Card to participate in vocational training across fields such as electrical work, machinery, ICT, industrial safety and digital technology. Since May 2024, officers and non-commissioned officers with fewer than five years of service who are approaching discharge have also been able to obtain the card — not just those with five or more years — making it possible to begin job preparation before leaving the military.

Korea Polytechnic University's "Dream Workshop" also supports career exploration for military personnel. Participants can get hands-on experience with advanced technologies including generative AI, smart factories, semiconductor equipment, autonomous driving and biotech. The Seongnam campus operates a career exploration program for employment-track specialty soldiers in partnership with the Korea Defense Veterans Transition Education Institute.

Training records, certifications and military service experience can all be managed systematically through the Job Competency Bank. Army Staff Sergeant Lim Chang-min was cited as an example: he registered his "industrial craftsman Korean cuisine" certification — obtained during service — along with his education and practical experience in the bank to help plan his career.

Pyeon Do-in, director general of the ministry's Vocational Competency Policy Bureau, said military service is "an important period during which individuals can continue to grow and develop their capabilities." He added that the ministry would "actively support current and former military personnel through a wide range of vocational development opportunities so they can broaden their potential and continue to grow."