The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 4th that it has drawn up and announced the Fifth Basic Plan for Supporting SMEs' Workforce.
The plan focuses on training talent needed for the artificial intelligence (AI) transition to supply to small and midsize businesses, while improving working conditions and competitiveness to address both regional SMEs' hiring difficulties and youth employment issues. It sets the direction for SME workforce policies to be pursued over the next five years.
First, it will increase the number of hands-on personnel responsible for developing AI solutions for small manufacturing corporations from 600 this year to about 1,600 next year. The internship period linked to employment at SMEs will also be extended from the current three months to 12 months next year.
Next year, it will launch the Manufacturing AI Fellow Training Program to cultivate 500 specialists. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and three other major science and technology institutes will develop and run curricula specialized in artificial intelligence transformation (AX) for SME manufacturing sites. Those who complete the program will be awarded a microdegree, a small-unit credential in the manufacturing AX field, and will also be connected to employment at small manufacturing corporations.
It will also expand the educational infrastructure to meet the demand for AI personnel in industry. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) plans to establish 10 AI-specialized contract departments this year and expand the number to 30 by 2030.
It will also establish a Manufacturing AI Education Center this year to enhance the AI utilization capabilities of SME employees. The center plans to provide hands-on AI training applicable to manufacturing sites for 10,000 SME employees annually.