Ajou University, 8 Gyeonggi schools join forces to build youth employment platform

Ajou University said Wednesday it is strengthening cooperation with major universities in Gyeonggi Province to help address youth unemployment in the region.

The university co-hosted a university affairs council on campus with the Gyeonggi Employment and Labor Office on Wednesday.

Heads of career and employment departments from eight Gyeonggi Province universities attended, including Ajou, Dankook, Kyonggi, Suwon, Kangnam, Yongin University of Arts and Science, Jangan and Hyupsung universities.

The council was organized to strengthen the role universities play as key actors in tackling regional youth unemployment. Participants shared results from each school's first-half employment support initiatives and mapped out collaboration plans for the second half of the year.

Participants agreed that universities should establish themselves as integrated "regional youth employment platforms," providing comprehensive support spanning career planning, vocational training and job placement.

Discussions focused on cultivating talent and improving job matching in the semiconductor sector, a core industry in Gyeonggi Province. The eight universities and the Gyeonggi Employment and Labor Office agreed to build a closer cooperation framework between universities and government offices, including by expanding commissioned training programs.

"I hope this council serves as a meaningful turning point in resolving youth unemployment and the labor shortages facing businesses in the region," Ajou University President Choi Ki-joo said. "We will do our utmost to ensure Ajou University fulfills its role as a solid hub for the Gyeonggi regional youth employment platform."