Kim Dong-yeon Seeks Solution for Middle-Aged Employment: "Baby Boomer Jobs Determine South Korea's Economic Survival"
[Suwon Ilbo = Reporter Kim Gapdong] Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon has launched an effort to find solutions for middle-aged employment, saying, "It is no exaggeration to say that baby boomer jobs determine the fate of South Korea's economy. Gyeonggi Province will play a priming role in this."
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 Carrot Market Inc., the Gyeonggi Business Association, the Gyeonggi Labor-Management Development Foundation, and the Gyeonggi Employment Foundation, and held a town hall meeting to explore solutions for middle-aged employment.
Governor Kim stated, "Baby boomers exist only in Gyeonggi Province in South Korea. While policies are concentrated on youth employment and senior employment, private sector jobs for baby boomers are undoubtedly a blind spot or neglected area. It is no exaggeration to say that going forward, women's employment, senior employment, and baby boomer employment will determine the direction and fate of South Korea's economy. We have worked with the determination that if Gyeonggi changes, South Korea changes. Regarding baby boomers, which no one pays attention to, Gyeonggi Province has established departments and continued to increase budgets to reach this point," he added.
He continued, "I would like Gyeonggi Province to play a role as a model for South Korea by making baby boomer light jobs and intern programs well-known and flourishing. I believe that the public sector and finances should play a priming role in areas that are difficult for the private sector to handle. Until water flows abundantly from the pump, Gyeonggi Province will do its best to play this priming role. Gyeonggi Province will make its best efforts to create baby boomer jobs, enabling people to enjoy life pleasantly and improve their quality of life."
"Light Job" carries the meaning of jobs where the weight of work is light, and the value of baby boomers and companies shines brightly. It refers to employment that is lighter in burden than full-time work, allowing people to participate in economic activities without pressure, and is suitable for re-examining the value of experience and expertise.
The province has secured 6.28 billion won in provincial budget this year to support 2,000 middle-aged people aged 40 to under 65 residing in the province with flexible employment (24-35 hours per week) guaranteed with social safety net including four major insurances and education, and will provide 400,000 won per month per worker to hiring companies.
According to the agreement, middle-aged residents of Gyeonggi Province can easily obtain job information through platforms of each organization such as Carrot, Job Ava, and Employment 24, which are regional-based platforms. Additionally, they can receive job matching services with the support of professional job counseling from the Gyeonggi Employment Foundation and the Gyeonggi Middle-Aged Tomorrow Center of the Labor-Management Development Foundation. The Gyeonggi Business Association plans to actively cooperate in company promotion and database provision to expand employment opportunities for middle-aged workers among companies in the province.
Following the agreement ceremony, Governor Kim Dong-yeon held a town hall meeting on "finding solutions for middle-aged employment" with middle-aged people in the province, small and medium-sized companies and social venture company representatives, and related personnel from county/city middle-aged centers and happiness campuses.
Attending the town hall meeting were baby boomers and middle-aged people who successfully found re-employment after retirement from their main jobs or are engaged in social contribution activities as a second career, representatives of social ventures and IT companies that have hired middle-aged workers, and others discussed the employment reality and countermeasures for middle-aged people.
Meanwhile, the province plans to implement three core projects this year including "baby boomer light jobs" along with "baby boomer internship" which provides internship opportunities, and "baby boomer intern camp" which supports life transition education and activity exploration, to provide middle-aged people with opportunities to design their lives in the second half of their lives.