As the aging of small and medium-sized business managers deepens, the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) has launched a long-term training program for next-generation managers. The aim is to systematically nurture successors preparing for business succession and support generational change at small and medium-sized corporations.
The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) said on the 12th it will run the "2026 SMEs and Startups Connection School long-term program." Trainees will be recruited at five SMEs and Startups training centers nationwide through the 31st.
According to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' "2024 survey on the status of small and medium-sized enterprises," the average age of managers at domestic small and medium-sized corporations is 55. Managers aged 50 and older accounted for 70.2% of the total, and those 60 and older reached 33.3%. In contrast, managers under 40 were only 4.9%.
KOSME has run a short-term course called "CEO Connection Academy" since last year. This year, reflecting on-site demand, it created a new long-term program that extends the training period from the previous one night and two days to three months.
The long-term program will run from Sept. to Nov. To reduce work gaps associated with participation, it will combine online and offline lectures. It will be operated in a customized format that adjusts content by reflecting trainees' industries and the progress of corporate succession.
Kang Seok-jin, chair of KOSME, said, "This program focuses on building the leadership of next-generation managers and presenting practical solutions needed in the corporate succession process," adding, "Through training that reflects on-site demand, we will support stable generational change and sustainable growth for small and medium-sized corporations."
Applications and details can be found on the SMEs and Startups Training Center website.