[Courtesy of Samsung Electronic Co.]

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South Korea’s top conglomerate Samsung Group will allow high school graduates to apply for its software program, which was previously limited to unemployed individuals with a university diploma.

According to industry sources on Tuesday, Samsung will recruit graduates from Meister high schools as well as college graduates for Samsung Software Academy for Youth (SSAFY), a corporate social responsibility program launched by Samsung Electronics Co. in 2018 to boost the economy and create jobs.

Recruitment will begin in October 2024.

The initiative aims to expand educational opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds to receive systematic software (SW) training through SSAFY and contribute to reducing social disparities.

Approximately 6,000 students graduate every year from 54 Meister high schools across the country, with a significant number entering the industrial field as skilled professionals.

However, the issue of career prospects for unemployed graduates has been a challenge in Meister high school education. There has been a considerable demand for educational programs like SSAFY that support students in pursuing new dreams, such as becoming SW developers.

The SSAFY advisory committee also requested the expansion of admissions to SSAFY to further contribute to solving the societal challenges of youth unemployment and the shortage of SW talent.

Since its inception in December 2018, SSAFY has nurtured approximately 6,900 students, with 5,748 of them becoming employed, achieving an 83 percent employment rate.

SSAFY graduates are recognized as practical talents, with nearly 160 companies offering preferential policies, such as waiving document reviews, exempting coding tests, and providing additional points in document reviews during recruitment.

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee has consistently emphasized the importance of nurturing software talent.

Since taking office in October 2022, he has visited SSAFY campuses in Gwangju, Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam, Daejeon, and Seoul to review operations and encourage trainees.

Meanwhile, Samsung held a completion ceremony for the 10th batch of the program at SSAFY Seoul Campus on Tuesday.

The event was attended by around 100 people, including Lee Jung-han, head of Employment Policy Office at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Samsung officials, outstanding graduates, and their families.

Samsung is the only conglomerate among the country’s top five groups to maintain an open recruitment system.

In 2022, Samsung announced plans to hire 80,000 new employees over five years.