In South Korea, which has entered a super-aging society, the issue of senior citizen employment is one of the urgent issues that must be resolved. In fact, according to the announcement by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security at the end of last year, the number of registered residents aged 65 or older in Korea was 10,244,550, exceeding 20% of the total population (51,221,286).
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▲[Korean Today] Seoul Senior Job Center Lounge *Photo = Seoul City Hall © Reporter Byun A-rong |
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it opened the ‘Seoul Senior Job Support Center’ on Thursday, the 2nd, to fully support employment for Seoul citizens aged 60 or older who have the will and ability to work, whose number is increasing every year.
The city added that a paradigm shift toward a society where middle-aged and elderly people work is necessary, as the number of elderly people who need earned income in addition to retirement income such as basic pension and national pension is increasing and the number of middle-aged people who want to work is also increasing.
The core role of the ‘Seoul Senior Job Support Center’ is to discover and link private sector jobs that reflect individuals’ academic background, career history, and other capabilities, as well as ‘Seoul-type jobs suitable for the new elderly’, rather than the previous public sector job-centered supply method.
We will also provide customized support that reflects the voices of the field to ensure that seniors successfully transition into their careers. The main contents include operating the ‘Senior Job Challenge’, which consists of the ‘Seoul-type Senior Internship’ where they gain practical experience in corporate settings, the ‘Job Training Program’ that provides one-stop linkage from education to employment, and the ‘Challengers Club’ that will serve as a support base for seniors who are starting to prepare for employment.
In addition, the center is staffed with professional counselors and provides 1:1 customized counseling services to job seekers over 60 years old who live in Seoul. It plans to provide practical job support, including job information and programs suitable for job seekers, as well as job application document writing and interview coaching.
The senior-only job search platform, ‘Senior Human Resources Bank’, will also begin operations on the 2nd (Thursday). It will systematically organize and provide one-stop information on senior jobs and job training that were scattered across the public and private sectors, as well as specific information on hiring companies.
Meanwhile, the ‘Seoul Senior Job Fair (Location: SETEC)’ is scheduled to be held in November of this year. The fair was prepared to spread the senior employment culture and discover Seoul-style senior jobs in line with the baby boomer generation entering old age. More than 60 companies that are interested in hiring seniors will participate and operate various recruitment centers to provide job opportunities.
Hong Hyun-hee, the director of the Seoul Senior Job Support Center, said, “As of September of this year, the number of employed people aged 60 or older ranked first among all age groups, showing that the desire for jobs among seniors in our society is strong,” and added, “We will do our best to support all seniors who visit the center so that they can find and pursue the jobs they want.”
Detailed information can be found on the center’s homepage (50plus.or.kr/sjc), and telephone consultation is also available (02-460-5600).
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