Kim Dong-yeon Seeks Solutions for Mid-Career Employment: "Baby Boomer Jobs Determine Korea's Economic Viability"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gapdong] Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon stated, "It is no exaggeration to say that baby boomer employment determines the viability of Korea's economy. Gyeonggi Province will play the role of priming the pump," as he moved forward to find solutions for mid-career employment.

On the 19th at the Gyeonggi Baby Boomer Light Job Center within the Next-Generation Convergence Technology Institute in Suwon, Governor Kim signed a "Business Agreement for Activating Baby Boomer Light Jobs" with Daangn Market Inc., the Gyeonggi Employers Association, the Gyeonggi Labor-Management Development Foundation, and the Gyeonggi Job Foundation, and held a town hall meeting to explore mid-career employment solutions.

Governor Kim stated, "Baby boomers are unique to Gyeonggi Province in Korea. While policies are heavily concentrated on youth employment and elderly employment, private-sector jobs for baby boomers are undoubtedly a blind spot or neglected area. Going forward, women's employment, elderly employment, and baby boomer employment will be crucial in determining Korea's economic direction and viability. I have worked with the determination that if Gyeonggi Province changes, Korea changes. For baby boomers that no one has paid attention to, Gyeonggi Province has created departments and continuously increased budgets to reach this point," he said.

He continued, "I hope that baby boomer light jobs and intern programs become well-known, flourish, and serve as a model for Korea. I believe that the public sector and public finances should serve as the priming pump in areas that are difficult for the private sector to undertake. Until the water flows abundantly from the pump, Gyeonggi Province will do its utmost to prime the pump. Gyeonggi Province will spare no effort in creating baby boomer jobs so that people can enjoy their later years and improve their quality of life."

"Light Job" embodies the concept that the weight of the work is light while the value of baby boomers and businesses shines brightly. It refers to employment that is lighter than full-time work, allowing people to participate in economic activities without burden, and is well-suited to re-examining the value of experience and expertise.

The province has secured 6.28 billion won in provincial budget for this year to support 2,000 mid-career workers aged 40 to under 65 in the province with flexible working hours (24-35 hours per week) with social safety nets including four major insurances and education. Hiring companies will receive 400,000 won per worker per month.

Under the agreement, mid-career workers residing in Gyeonggi Province can easily obtain job information through local platform-based services such as Daangn, Jobaba, and Employment24 operated by each institution. Additionally, professional counseling support from the Gyeonggi Job Foundation and the Gyeonggi Labor-Management Development Foundation's Middle-Aged Tomorrow Center will provide job matching services. The Gyeonggi Employers Association will actively cooperate by promoting mid-career employment expansion among companies in the province and providing database (DB) support.

Following the agreement ceremony, Governor Kim Dong-yeon held a town hall meeting to "find solutions for mid-career employment" with mid-career workers and small and mid-sized companies in the province, social venture businesses, and officials from district and city mid-career centers and happiness campuses.

The town hall meeting was attended by baby boomers and mid-career workers who have successfully found reemployment after retirement from their primary jobs or are engaged in social contribution activities in their second careers, representatives of social ventures and IT companies that employ mid-career workers, and others who discussed the realities and countermeasures for mid-career employment.

Meanwhile, the province plans to implement three core projects this year alongside baby boomer light jobs: the "Baby Boomer Internship," which provides internship opportunities, and the "Baby Boomer Internship Camp," which supports life transition education and activity exploration, to provide mid-career workers with opportunities to design their later years of life.