Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has instructed officials to discover new job sectors for middle-aged workers to enter amidst the rapidly changing employment environment driven by the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI), and to strengthen customized vocational training that leads to actual employment.

During a executive meeting today (October 21), Mayor Oh noted that "middle-aged re-employment is a very important task," ordering officials to "dramatically expand the Middle-Aged Job Academy much like the Youth Job Academy and actively discover new jobs suited for the AI era."

In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to expand the Middle-Aged Job Academy and establish a system where employment support can be received across all 25 autonomous districts.

Launched in March, the Middle-Aged Job Academy operates a total of 113 customized training courses, providing one-stop support ranging from career diagnosis and counseling to vocational training and corporate matching.

The city emphasized that it will continuously expand the academy through 2030 to complete a "30-minute employment support network accessible anywhere," covering all autonomous districts.

Through "Seoul Learn 4050," the city is supporting the second and third acts of middle-aged lives by reinforcing AI and digital job competencies, re-employment, entrepreneurship, and life planning.

(Photo: Yonhap News)