▲ Samsung, Hynix
Driven by a massive boom in the semiconductor industry, vocational high schools offering semiconductor-related curricula are experiencing a surge in popularity.
This trend is driven by an increasing number of students and parents turning to specialized and "Meister" (vocational) high schools that offer direct paths to employment after graduation, as a four-year university degree is no longer seen as an absolute prerequisite for landing a job at a major conglomerate.
According to the Yongin Office of Education in Gyeonggi Province on Tuesday (June 23), "Yongin Semiconductor High School," the province's first semiconductor-specialized Meister high school, will open next March in Namsa-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, with an initial freshman capacity of 96 students.
The school will initially open as a specialized high school and plans to transition into a Meister high school starting in the 2028 academic year to nurture gifted technical talent tailored to the demands of the semiconductor industry.
It will operate two departments: the Department of Semiconductor Manufacturing and the Department of Semiconductor Maintenance.
With news of a semiconductor-tailored high school opening in Yongin—where a massive semiconductor cluster is currently under construction—interest has been pouring in from both parents and students.
In response, the local office of education has set up a dedicated bulletin board for Yongin Semiconductor High School on its official website, compiling and posting a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs).
An education supervisor in charge of opening Yongin Semiconductor High School at the Yongin Office of Education said, "We are getting more than 20 inquiry calls a day, to the point where it's hard to get any other work done."
"Most questions are about high school admissions and post-graduation career paths, such as what grades are required to get in or whether employment at a major conglomerate is guaranteed upon graduation," the supervisor explained. "We tell them that since this is the first recruitment after opening, there is no set grade cut-off, and while employment at a major company is not automatically guaranteed, we have already secured employment agreements with outstanding local companies in the Yongin area."
The Yongin Office of Education plans to hold an admissions information session as early as late August to address the questions of students and parents.
▲ Yongin Semiconductor High School FAQ
Other schools are also restructuring their departments to focus on semiconductors to keep pace with the growing demand for local talent driven by the expansion of the semiconductor cluster.
Doowon Technical High School in Anseong will reorganize its existing Department of Automation Systems into the Department of Semiconductor Systems starting from the 2027 academic year.
The school had been gradually expanding its semiconductor-related curriculum to meet the rising demand for workforce in the sector. With a specialized industrial complex for semiconductor materials, components, and equipment set to be built in Anseong by 2030, the school decided to rename the department and specialize its curriculum.
An official from Doowon Technical High School explained, "We expect the semiconductor boom to continue for at least the next five years. We are also considering education that links semiconductors with AI. The school's curriculum is constantly evolving to keep pace with industrial changes."
While specialized and Meister high schools do not guarantee employment with specific companies like university semiconductor contract departments do, their graduates, equipped with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, are hired as new employees by major conglomerates every year.
▲ Doowon Technical High School
Looking at the employment status of graduates from the Department of Smart Automation at Pyeongtaek Meister High School over the past three years, 30% of the total student body joined major conglomerates or prominent organizations, including 24 at Samsung Electronics, four at Samsung SDI, three at Korea Aerospace Industries, two at Samsung Biologics, and one at Hyundai Motor.
The head of the Meister department at the school explained, "Our school is a Meister high school specialized in mechanics, electronics, and semiconductors, nurturing customized talent for companies. In the case of Samsung Electronics, they pre-select students during their second year, and about three to four students from our school are hired during this period each year."
He added, "For students with a clear career path, attending a Meister high school is advantageous because it saves on college tuition and allows them to build career experience early."
However, educators cautioned that students should avoid making hasty career decisions simply by following trends.
The education supervisor in charge of opening Yongin Semiconductor High School at the Yongin Office of Education emphasized, "Since a child's future is at stake, they should take aptitude tests, and students themselves—not their parents—must be given the opportunity to make their own choices."
The head of the Meister department at Pyeongtaek Meister High School also said, "Decisions about high school are made during middle school, which is a very young age to choose one's future. Some students enroll impulsively just because their friends did, only to struggle with their career path or transfer schools later. They need to think it through carefully."
(Photo: Captured from the Yongin Office of Education website, captured from the Doowon Technical High School website, Yonhap News)
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