Enhancement of Employment and Entrepreneurship 

Support Services at Saeil Centers

- Expansion of high-value-added vocational education and training courses: 79 courses (in 2024) -> 89 courses (in 2025)

- Establishment of a vocational training participation allowance of KRW 100,000 per month (up to 4 times)

- Increase in employment retention incentives for interns: KRW 3.8 million per person (in 2024) -> KRW 4.6 million (in 2025)

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family(MOGEF) aims to promote women's economic participation and prevent career discontinuation by enhancing Employment and Entrepreneurship Support Services at the Women's New job Centers (hereinafter referred to as “Saeil Centers”) in 2025.

* Saeil Centers (159 nationwide): Provide various employment support programs and career discontinuation prevention services, including career counseling and vocational training, especially for women with career breaks due to childcare and domestic responsibilities.

To foster women professionals in high-demand new industry sectors, the number of high-value-added vocational education and training courses at the Saeil Centers will be increased to 89 this year.

* High-value-added vocational education and training courses: 79 courses (in 2024) -> 89 courses (in 2025) (including software, IT, bio sectors)

Additionally, the vocational education and training courses* based on regional core industries will be expanded to facilitate entry into quality jobs.

* Regional core industry fields: Pilot operation in 10 cities/provinces (in 2024) -> Expanded to 16 cities/provinces nationwide (in 2025) (e.g., bio-pharmaceutical licensing management course in Incheon, Unreal Engine (game) content development in Daegu)

Moreover, a vocational education and training participation allowance* has been introduced this year to reduce the economic burden on trainees and encourage active participation in education.

* For Saeil Center trainees: KRW 100,000 per month, up to 4 times

The highly rated Saeil Women’s Intern Project as a government employment initiative will further enhance employment retention by increasing the employment retention incentive and relaxing the intern hiring criteria for companies to boost intern connecting.

An additional KRW 800,000 in employment retention incentives will be provided to companies when a woman participating as a Saeil Women’s Intern converts to full-time employment after 12 months. 

* Support per person: KRW 3.8 million (in 2024) -> KRW 4.6 million (in 2025)

Furthermore, to encourage intern hiring and expand job opportunities, the criteria for the number of interns a company can hire based on the number of regular employees will be relaxed.

- Particularly in areas with decreasing populations (89 areas), no limits will be applied to the number of interns a company can hire.

To invigorate women's entrepreneurship, the Saeil Centers with dedicated entrepreneurial staff (40 centers) will enhance their staged entrepreneurial support, offering startup courses like digital content planning and smart healthcare in line with market trends.

For centers without dedicated entrepreneurial staff, “mobile entrepreneurial consulting*” will be conducted to enhance startup support.

* Three pilot centers (in 2024) -> 15 centers (in 2025)

Efforts to prevent career discontinuation and promote a work-life balance culture will continue, with the Ministry providing in-depth services such as employment retention counseling and corporate culture improvement consulting.

Jo Min-kyung, Director of the Women's Policy Bureau at the MOGEF, stated, "Last year, the support from the Saeil Centers helped about 170,000 women find employment."

"The MOGEF will continue to make efforts to facilitate women's entry into quality jobs and sustain their careers through the expansion of new technology-related vocational education and training and customized employment support, thereby enhancing women's economic participation," she added.