"Gaining Work Experience": Seoul Expands Youth Internship Program

[Anchor]

More than 4,000 young people have applied for the Seoul Metropolitan Government's "Young-Career-ence" program, which supports youth in gaining work experience. As companies increasingly prioritize practical skills during the hiring process, many young people are eager to build their resumes. The city of Seoul plans to expand the program in phases.

Here is this week's news from Seoul with reporter Yoon Na-ra.

[Reporter]

Young people who completed internships at Linkage Lab, a company specializing in AI data construction, management, and service, gathered in one place.

They are participants in Seoul's "Young-Career-ence" program, a name that combines the words "youth," "career," and "experience."

The program was launched this year to bridge the gap between companies seeking talent with practical experience and young people who lack opportunities to build such experience.

The enthusiasm is high, with over 4,200 applicants for the 664 spots available across four different programs.

[Han Ji-won / Junior, Department of Information Systems, Hanyang University: "It is difficult for third-year (university) students to find internships, but through this Seoul Young-Career-ence internship program, I was able to gain experience, which I think will be a great help in choosing my career path and preparing for employment in the future."]

Mayor Oh Se-hoon criticized the government's plan to provide health insurance coverage for hair loss treatment for young people, emphasizing that supporting them in gaining practical work experience is more important.

[Oh Se-hoon / Mayor of Seoul: "The government is currently focusing on hair loss support, which is a hot topic these days. But this (the Young-Career-ence internship) is better. I will provide as many fair opportunities as possible for you to grow."]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to expand the number of Young-Career-ence participants from 1,750 this year to 5,600 by 2030.

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Six outdoor swimming pools and water parks along the Han River open today (June 19).

The facilities opening this year include the Ttukseom and Yeouido swimming pools, as well as the Jamsil, Gwangnaru, Nanji, and Yanghwa water parks. The Jamwon swimming pool will not open this year due to the construction of a natural-style water park.

Last year, the Han River outdoor swimming pools and water parks saw 552,003 visitors, a 77% increase from the previous year.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government also plans to operate the facilities at night until 10:00 PM from July 3 to August 30.

(Video reporting: Kim Heung-ki | Video editing: Park Chun-bae)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.