Korea Polytechnics to expand KOLAS-accredited regular coursework to 510 students next year

Students at Korea Polytechnics can now earn academic credits through regular coursework and, upon passing the relevant exams, receive a Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS) certificate — a qualification required for personnel at nationally accredited testing and calibration institutions. The university plans to expand the program from 215 students this year to 510 in the first semester of next year.

Korea Polytechnics announced Tuesday that it received KOLAS accreditation in September for two additional precision measurement courses — one in length measurement and one in electrical measurement — on top of the two joint calibration and testing courses accredited last year. All four courses are now offered as regular academic subjects. The electrical measurement course marks the first KOLAS accreditation of its kind at a domestic university.

Calibration is the process of verifying the accuracy of a measuring instrument by comparing it against a reference standard — for example, confirming that a scale correctly reads 1 kilogram. KOLAS, operated by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, evaluates whether testing and calibration institutions have the competence to carry out such work. As of last month, more than 1,340 organizations — including Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL) and Korea Testing Certification (KTC) — held accredited status. Test reports issued by these institutions within their accredited scope are recognized internationally under mutual recognition agreements.

Anyone seeking to work as a quality or technical manager, or as a practitioner, at an accredited institution must complete the relevant KOLAS-approved training and pass the associated exam. Rather than paying hundreds of thousands of won to an outside training provider, Korea Polytechnics students can fulfill that requirement through their regular coursework.

Last month, Korea Polytechnics launched the program across nine departments at five campuses — Seongnam, Hwaseong, Busan, Jinju and the Semiconductor Convergence campus — enrolling 215 students. Courses are taught by KOLAS senior calibration assessors and recipients of the Korea Master Craftsman designation. The program is set to expand to 510 students across 15 departments in the first semester of next year.

"Students will enter the workforce having completed nationally recognized training at school and holding a certificate, which will be a major boost to their employment prospects," a Korea Polytechnics official said. "We will continue to integrate credible, industry-demanded training into our regular curriculum."