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Table 5-12 ❙ Future recruitment plans
Classification Frequency Percentage
Negative 56 11.1
Positive 448 88.9
Total 504 100.0
Finally, a survey was conducted on support plans for corporate career development for Meister high school graduates. The survey found that companies would generally plan for more support for graduates’ career development. In particular, they gave an average score of 4.71 on the implementation of a performance-centered personnel management system, rather than academic background. This score was followed by the willingness to make continuous cooperation to successfully promote plans for Meister high schools, establishing and implementing plans for retraining and training for career development support, and a support system for learning while working.
Table 5-13 ❙ Support for graduates’ career development
Classification Average Standard
deviation
Number of cases
Support system for learning while working 4.28 0.961 504
Implementation of performance-centered personnel
managementsystem, rather than academic background 4.71 0.763 504 Establishing/implementing plans for retraining and
training for career development support 4.47 0.880 504
Willingness to make continuous cooperation to
successfully promote plans for Meister high schools 4.60 0.814 504
positive. Notwithstanding, an increasing number of graduates are trying to changes jobs in the long term. And there were different levels of satisfaction according to the characteristics of corporate employment, such as the size of the company, wages, and employee benefits. In other words, the transition to the labor market is successfully taking place, but three to five years later, the assessment will be highly likely to differ from the current one. In particular, it is true that many students who are employed by small and medium-sized enterprises consider changing jobs, and that some students advance to college/university after they quit their jobs. There are some reasons for that. They have little assurance that they will gain success in the labor market. There is not enough information on career paths. Furthermore, the personnel management system of each company is not compatible with the national goal of achieving “Employment First, Advancement to University Later,” and a competence-focused society.
As for the level of satisfaction with school education, the general level is high, but there are significant differences among schools. This results from different levels of school education support systems and also from the leadership of principals, the enthusiasm of teachers, and locations. So, in order for Meister high schools to build a sustainable operating model, it is important to consider both the characteristics of the schools and establishment of a support system that will make equal educational accomplishments. As the policy climate has changed, there are different views on Meister high schools compared to the past. This is a contributing factor in the diminishing support of the Offices of Education and the enthusiasm of teachers. With the inauguration of the Park Geun-hye government, the policy for Meister high schools has continued to depend on the Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education, but it is true that some Offices of Education have cut back on subsidies for schools. It is admitted that this is driven by a considerable investment in education welfare, but there is another factor: changes in the policy climate. Thus, in order for Meister high schools to establish a sustainable and successful school operating model, basic directions for policy improvement need to be set, as follows:
First, Meister high schools need to establish a sustainable operating model. In the past, many schools faced the crisis of whether to continue or close depending on
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changes in the policy climate, and they tended to have sensitive responses to such changes. Accordingly, it is necessary to have the need for and perception of Meister high schools as serving as “tailored high schools that provide education for industrial demand.” Furthermore, it seems that much support and effort will need to be made to maintain the position. Since Meister high schools are the way forward for Korea’s future secondary vocational education, rather than one type of secondary vocational education, it is needed to establish and expand a sustainable operating model.
Second, the establishment of a system is needed to realize a performance-focused society. Indeed, Meister high school students currently focus more on the results than on the process. In other words, students set a goal for the company in itself that makes an agreement with the school, but do not put much effort into cultivating the job competencies needed to enter the company. This puts students in a fierce competition, and they are reduced to paying little attention to job competencies, personality, the adaptability for the job, and the understanding of the labor market necessary for the transition to the labor market. A survey of corporate personnel managers by job recruiter companies showed that the managers lost confidence in academic background, academic grades, foreign languages, certifications, and volunteer activities, indicating that the competency test system failed to serve its purpose as a socially acceptable system. In other words, students cannot rely on the tools of certification that, for their part, are required to test their abilities for verification. In that regard, it is needed to establish a competency certification system that is widely used, and when students receive competency certification, it makes it possible for them to predict wages, positions, and the future in the labor market. The establishment of a reliable competency certification system seems to prompt the corporate personnel management system to shift from one oriented toward academic background to one focused on performance. A good example is the software sector, in which personnel management is centered on competence.
Third, it is needed to establish an “Employment First, Advancement to University Later” system customized for expanding the employment of high school graduates. As shown in the survey, most students want to advance to college/university. There is a
special admission to college/university for workers who remain employed. In reality, however, there is no educational model for workers. In order for employees to study while working at the same time, it is imperative to reduce the burden of their tasks, but every company is operated based on full-time work during the day, the majority of which is in a field of social training. In particular, most of colleges/universities in metropolitan areas put no emphasis on special admission for employees, and they run academic affairs based on supply-side principles. In the survey, a great number of students said that they left jobs to go on to college/university, showing that it was difficult for them to balance work and learning. Therefore, further research and the development of an operating model for academic affairs for employees on a demand-side basis are urgently needed to provide access to colleges/universities.
Fourth, it is imperative for Meister high schools to prepare finances for the commitment of stable resources. As mentioned before, as the Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education undergo rising public expenditures for education welfare, they cut back finances for Meister high schools, as they did before. Moreover, some Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education fail to deliver on promises to provide financial support to Meister high schools. This may lead to a lack of confidence in Meister high schools, resulting in the possible failure of the hard slog of Meister high school policy. In particular, there is a growing demand for training high school graduates as manpower for national strategic industries and root industries, but without financial resources, no Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education try to promote the establishment of such schools. Accordingly, it will be necessary for the Ministry of Education to plan a financial support project for Meister high schools, connect a project for manpower with other government ministries, and come up with a support system to promote business-led and local government-led Meister high schools.
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References
Jang, M. H., J. W. Kim, & B. W. Lee (2008). Operation of Korean-style Meister High Schools and Certification Model Development. Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
Jang, M. H., J. W. Kim, S. J. Choi, & J. Y. Han (2014). New Meister High School Selection and Support to Prepare for the Opening of a School. Ministry of Education, KRIVET, &
Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education.
Kim, J. W. et al. (2013). An Analysis of the Status of the Transition from Meister High School Graduates to the Labor Market. KRIVET.
Center for Meister Schools (2011). Promotion of Meister High School and Development Assignment.
KRIVET.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (July 1, 2008). A Plan for the Development of Korean-style Meister High Schools to Lead the Advancement of Vocational High Schools.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2010). The Policy for Advancement of High School Vocational Education.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2011a). A Plan for the Construction of an Educational System with Simultaneous Learning and Employment.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2011b). A Plan for Implementing an Open Employment Society for Mutual Prosperity.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2011c). A Project for the Establishment of a Hopeful Ladder for Education.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2010). The Policy for Advancement of High School Vocational Education.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2011a). A Plan for the Construction of an Educational System with Simultaneous Learning and Employment.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2011b). A Plan for Implementing an Open Employment Society for Mutual Prosperity.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2011c). A Project for the Establishment of a Hopeful Ladder for Education.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology & Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (2012). Handbook of Specialized High Schools, Comprehensive High Schools and Meister High Schools.
Ministry of Education (2013). A Plan for Support to Prepare for the Opening of Seventh Selected Meister High Schools.
There has been ongoing discussion on the need for and importance of industry- academic cooperation2) in terms of making “a smooth transition from school to work”
(Jung, 2006). In particular, it is emphasized that the industry-academic cooperation system has been a useful tool to solve the problems with vocational education, as well as general education. The system enables students to understand the world of actual work before they graduate from school.
For educational institutes, they can reflect the knowledge and technology necessary for jobs in the curriculum to improve practical education. In addition, businesses can secure skilled workers and reduce the costs associated with employment. The government can improve the effectiveness of the educational training system and build a social cooperation system.
In Korea’s vocational education, industry-academic cooperation has a significant influence on the comprehensive process of education objectives (goals) and accomplishments.
1) This chapter was extracted and complemented from Choi, Jang and Huh (2013)
2) Industry-academic cooperation is generally divided into two parts, one for education and one for research and development (Lee, 2004; Chung, 1986). Secondary vocational education institutes do not include industry-academic cooperation for research and development, so in this study, we intend to interpret industry-academic cooperation as being for training human resources (for educational purposes) if there is no special mention.