SEOUL, OCT 18 – To improve the country’s digital skills and competitiveness, South Korea launched a new initiative aimed at improving digital capabilities among adults aged 30 and over.
The government will invest more than US$80 million to build a comprehensive digital lifelong learning ecosystem, the Ministry of Education announced on Wednesday.
The initiative, dubbed the ‘AI-Digital Project (AID) 30+’, aims to provide extensive retraining opportunities and digital education to improve the country’s increasingly technology-driven workforce.
Although South Korea has some of the highest levels of digital access among OECD countries, it lags behind in the use of practical digital skills and employee training.
According to the International Institute for Management Development, South Korea ranks 6th globally in ‘digital competitiveness’ but falls to 48th in effective use of digital skills, and 23rd in educating employees about digital capabilities.
This major investment underscores South Korea’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and ensuring the country’s workforce remains competitive in the face of rapid technological advances.
As digital skills become increasingly important in the global economy, the AID 30+ Project will address this gap by launching several key programs. At the heart of this initiative is identification AID Career Jump Passa digital lifetime education voucher.
Valued at 350,000 won per person per year, the pass will be available to 10,000 adults and can be used to access digital education programs offered by both universities and private institutions.
To further support adult students, the ministry plans to use 100 AI technology and digital leading universities that will offer a curriculum tailored to adults who want to improve their digital competence.
This includes creating as many as 20 ‘AID 30+ Intensive Camps’ that will provide AI and digital courses in the evenings and weekends, designed specifically for those in their 30s and 40s.
In addition, 30 ‘Digital Transformation Focus Colleges’ will be selected to revamp their programs to better serve adult students.
Recognizing the importance of everyday digital literacy, the initiative also plans to develop programs that teach important skills, such as using financial applications and driverless kiosks, which are technologies that have become commonplace in everyday life.
These courses will be offered in 114 institutions across the country and have increased from 90 last year.
South Korea’s bold vision will empower around 660,000 adults with the skills needed to thrive in the digital age.
Education Minister Lee Joo-ho emphasized that strengthening AI and digital capabilities is ‘not an option, but a necessity’ and urged the public to participate in the national transformation. – ANN/The Korea Herald
