Korea Tech, ILO Training Center Launch Joint Master's Program in Digital Vocational Education

Korea University of Technology and Education has partnered with the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization to train global specialists in vocational education for the digital economy.

The university, known as KOREATECH, announced Tuesday it will jointly launch a Master's Program in TVET for the Digital Economy with the ILO's International Training Centre, or ITCILO, with classes beginning in January 2027.

The program marks the first regular degree course ITCILO, based in Turin, Italy, has co-operated with an overseas higher education institution. KOREATECH said it expects the program to serve as a vehicle for spreading its industry-linked technical and vocational education and training, or TVET, model and digital education capabilities to countries around the world.

Structured as a one-year intensive master's program under KOREATECH's Graduate School of Industrial Technology, the course will award graduates a Master of Science degree from KOREATECH, with ITCILO certification noted on the diploma. The inaugural cohort will admit 30 students — five of them Korean — drawn from both domestic and international applicants.

Instruction will follow a three-phase hybrid format combining online learning, in-person sessions in Korea and a capstone project. From January to June 2027, students will attend online classes and webinars delivered through ITCILO's digital learning platform. From late June through August, they will undergo six weeks of intensive on-campus training at KOREATECH. From September through December, participants will carry out projects or research aimed at addressing vocational training challenges in their respective countries.

The curriculum spans eight modules: TVET systems and digital transformation; digital TVET pedagogy and instructional design; inclusive digital skills pathways; research methodology for TVET innovation; technology and labor market information; edtech, simulation and field-learning platforms; TVET governance, policy and fiscal management; and Korea's digital innovation in TVET. The program places particular emphasis on integrating AI, machine learning and generative AI throughout the curriculum to raise the quality and workplace relevance of vocational training.

Faculty from KOREATECH, alongside ITCILO and ILO experts, international organization officials, and specialists in employment, labor and vocational training, will deliver the instruction. The program will move beyond lecture-based teaching to emphasize practical learning through workshops, case studies, team projects and field visits.

The two institutions will establish a joint steering committee to oversee curriculum operations and quality assurance. KOREATECH will handle admissions approval, degree conferral and academic administration, while ITCILO will manage global student recruitment, document screening and scholarship-related administrative work.

"Korea is a powerhouse in workforce development, having long cultivated talent by forging close ties between industry and education," KOREATECH President Yoo Gil-sang said. "This program will be the starting point for training leaders who can drive job creation and vocational training innovation around the world, combining KOREATECH's engineering education and digital training capabilities with the ILO's global policy expertise."

Meanwhile, the first round of applications runs through June 30, and the program will be conducted entirely in English. Prospective students can apply through ITCILO's online application system.