·         Gangbuk Youth Startup Maru

Expands Support for Young Professionals’ Workplace Adaptation through “On-Site Lectures”

- 2024 Youth Growth Project by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, operated by Kwangwoon University Industry-Academic Collaboration Foundation -

"Expectations are high for fostering a youth-friendly environment and boosting the growth potential of local companies through the participation of both youth and businesses in the Gangbuk area" -

Kwangwoon University Industry-Academic Collaboration Foundation, led by Director Young-wook Jeong, successfully operates the Gangbuk Youth Startup Maru, headed by Director Hye-jin Kwon. From September 24 to 25, 2024, Gangbuk Youth Startup Maru hosted the “Youth Growth Project Onboarding Program” at ROBOROBO, an edutech company located in Gangbuk-gu.

The Youth Growth Project is a new initiative launched in 2024 by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, with Gangbuk Youth Startup Maru serving as the implementing agency. Its aim is to help young professionals smoothly adapt to new workplace environments while assisting companies in building youth-friendly organizational cultures, thus creating an environment where both youth and businesses can thrive.

This project took the form of “on-site lectures” to assist young new hires at ROBOROBO in adjusting to their workplace. The program was designed as a company-visit educational format to avoid disrupting business operations. It included mindset training on the roles and attitudes of new hires, as well as hands-on simulations of team leader responsibilities, focusing on collaboration, task management, and communication. In addition, the program offered practical education, such as AI-driven edutech planning and the use of generative AI to enhance work efficiency, tailored to the needs of the company.

On the first day of training, participants attended a session titled “Accidental Team Leader: Experiencing Team Management,” which focused on strengthening team cohesion, fostering empathy and understanding, and methods for task management and efficiency. On the second day, under the theme "Attitude is My Competitive Edge," the program offered lectures on the roles and attitudes expected of new hires, resilience in the onboarding process, and a gamified session on identifying and highlighting the company’s strengths. After the training, Gangbuk Youth Startup Maru plans to provide one-on-one expert mentoring for new hires in need of career or psychological counseling.

Ye-seul Han, an employee at ROBOROBO who participated in the program, commented, “The onboarding program was a great opportunity to learn about the importance of communication and basic business etiquette. I hope to continue receiving this type of training in the future.”

Director Young-wook Jeong of the Kwangwoon University Industry-Academic Collaboration Foundation remarked, “We anticipate that the participation of numerous companies and young professionals in the Youth Growth Project will improve young employees’ workplace adaptability, develop their communication skills, foster a youth-friendly environment, and boost the growth potential of participating companies.”

Meanwhile, Kwangwoon University and Gangbuk Youth Startup Maru will continue to actively support the revitalization of local businesses and the expansion of youth-friendly, customized consulting services through the Youth Growth Project. Currently, the onboarding program is recruiting participants, and new hires who have been employed for less than a year, work in Gangbuk-gu, or reside or have their workplace in the Gangbuk-gu are eligible to apply through the Gangbuk Youth Startup Maru website (https://gbmaru.com).