The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City is partnering with social solidarity economy enterprises to launch a regional ecosystem revitalization project aimed at creating youth jobs and closing gaps in care services.
Funded through a Ministry of Employment and Labor grant totaling 1.5 billion won ($1.02 million), the initiative will run two main tracks: a labor integration program to help young people enter the workforce, and an integrated care program to deliver community-tailored support services.
Under the labor integration track, young jobseekers who completed vocational training began placements at social solidarity economy enterprises Monday, where they will spend 16 weeks gaining hands-on experience in areas such as digital marketing and care coordination.
The integrated care track will operate across all five autonomous districts of Gwangju, with each district running programs tailored to local needs — building social networks for middle-aged single-person households, conducting welfare and health checks on elderly residents, providing one-stop support for patients discharged from hospitals, assessing daily living risks for elderly people living alone, and supporting children whose births have not been officially registered.
Care services are already underway in Seo-gu, Buk-gu and Gwangsan-gu, having launched between June and July. Dong-gu and Nam-gu are expected to begin operations in August after completing beneficiary outreach and volunteer training.
The city plans to hold monthly working-level meetings and quarterly public-private partnership meetings to strengthen collaboration among social solidarity economy enterprises, local government bodies and community organizations.
sij@heraldcorp.com
