Research on Work Experience-Oriented Career Education Support System
Researcher-in-charge: Yun-Kyoung Jung Summary
This research investigates the measures to build an educational environment conducive to invigoration of students’ work experience activities. It proposes supporting systems and measures aimed at strengthening work experience activities in schools, including securing of a wide range of work experience providers; development of career experience programs, enhancement of professionalism among the related labor force; and the construction of on and offline work experience networks.
Ⅰ. Significance of the Research
▣ Experience-centered career education with an emphasis on students’ talent and aptitude in choosing a career has been growing in importance
· Following the curriculum revision in 2009, elementary and middle schools are required to provide a weekly average of 3 hours or more of creative experience programs, while high schools are required to offer an average of 4 hours or more per week.
· Creative experience programs consist of 4 different domains, including autonomous or voluntary-based activities, career related activities, community services and club activities; and of these, career related activities are closely linked with work experience.
▣ However, students’ work experience program is not in its full implementation stage and the educational environment for work experience in and out of school has not been developed sufficiently, ricing rise to the need for research that could stimulate career education through work experience.
▣ Given the growing need for work experience in career education, this research aims to examine the system of developing practical programs, based on which the relevant policies will be proposed.
Ⅱ. The Support System for Work Experience-Oriented Career Education
▣ Literature review on work experience support system
· Actual work experience is seriously lacking in career education. In Korea, more than half of career education consists of aptitude test and career counseling, followed by curricular activities, and the proportion of experience-oriented learning is very low.
· Previous studies undertaken at home and abroad have suggested various support measures: creation of legal foundation for work experience; establishment of inter-agency network; development of policy assessment indicators through reinforced collaboration among related government ministries;
improvement of career education methods to become more experience- and volunteering-oriented;
establishment of structural foundation to support work experience; and strengthening of training (ICT, education) to enhance professional competencies of the labor force in related fields.
▣ Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MEST) developed a work experience program in the first half of 2010 and supported Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education in implementing work experience programs in schools during the latter half of 2010 and in 2011.
▣ Support system for work experience at national and local levels
· (Central Government) A nationwide support system has been established, linking Career Education Division of MEST, Career Support Center of Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education, and career counseling division of each school.
· (Specialized Agency) MEST has formed a consultative group among central unit, specialized agencies, including Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Korea Employment Information
Service, Korean Council for University Education, Educational Broadcasting (EBS), and Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity.
· As of October 2011, three offices of education in Seoul, Busan and Gyeongnam were initially designated as leading offices in career education, and five more offices in Daegu, Daejeon, Jeonnam, Gyeongnam, and Incheon were added as a follow-up. These offices operate on and off line career information centers, providing online career counseling service, aptitude tests and career information.
· (School) The names for career counseling office may differ among schools, but they all perform the same role in providing career information and service. As of May 2011, 976 career counselors are at work, and the number will reach 1,500 in 2012.
Ⅲ. Survey Results on Organizations Operating/Participating in Work Experience Programs
▣ In order to find out the current situation and the problems of work experience-oriented career education, and the needs of its support system, visits, interviews and surveys were carried out on organizations(58) operating work experience, school teachers (117), students (474).
· A total of 331 programs were in operation in 117 schools from year 2010 to August 2011. The number can be broken down to 152 in 2010 and 179 in 2011.
· Each program was 8.7-hour long, in which 132 students participated overall. ‘Experience’(41.2%) accounted for the biggest proportion of the program.
· The number of people in charge of work experience programs was around 3 in organizations, and around 1 in schools; and the utilization of supporting personnel was not systematic or extensive, the results indicating shortcomings in the organization for operating work experience programs and the level of professionalism among the labor force working in the field.
· There was a lack of consultation among the parties involved, including the education offices, which are the main organization with the budget, the corporations or associations that operate programs, and the participating schools. Three out of ten students responded that there was little connection between their areas of career interest and work experience fields, implying the need to improve the way students participate in work experience programs.
Ⅳ. Examples of Work Experience Programs
▣ Although many institutes offer work experience programs with a focus on indirect experiences (e.g. field trips), the following lists some of the organizations operating direct, hands-on experience programs for every participating students.
· National Youth Space Center, Gwacheon National Science Museum, and Job World, which are funded by the central government; Kidzania and Hansol Consulting Co.’s experience program for construction professionals, Ulsan 21st Century Farm Experience, and NFTE-Korea, offered by the private sector; and career experience program by Dong-eui Institute of Technology, and Korea Polytechnics Jeju Campus are examples of education institutions.
Ⅵ. Policy Recommendations
▣ Support system of securing work experience providers and developing work experience programs
· (National level) Creation of a pan-government consultative group; expansion of participation of public institutes; and promotion of incentives for private enterprises, and campaigns and contests
· (Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education) Allocation of financial resources for securing providers of work experience programs and organization of research symposiums; alleviation of regional differences by producing videos on work experience, and running moving work experience center(bus);
and development of various work experience programs during school semesters, weekends and holiday periods
· (Schools) Discovering of more places for work experience; and development of work experience plans in connection with the curriculum.
▣ Support system for enhancement of professionalism, and for securing and utilization of supporting personnel.
· (National level) Development and dissemination of manuals on work experience-oriented career education
· (Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education) Support for career counselors in improving competencies and developing specialized fields; utilization and training of retirees of school and/or corporations; and development and utilization of work experience coordinators.
▣ Support system for establishment of on and off line networks and strengthening of cooperation
· Establishment of consultative groups supporting work experience at national and regional levels, and organization of meetings on a regular basis.
· Creation of a work experience website for linking up and sharing of resources on work experience at national and regional levels; and recruitment of new students and utilization of ‘industry-school’ teachers have achieved the desired outcome.
