Under the relevant laws and regulations, the qualification system in Korea is divided into two parts: national qualifications both established and administered by the government, and private qualifications administered by organizations not affiliated with the government (see [Table 3-5]). National qualifications include national technical qualifications pertinent to the National Technical Qualifications Act and national qualifications under individual laws and regulations. Private qualifications are divided into three groups: recognized private qualifications, registered private qualifications and intra-company qualifications.
National Technical Qualifications (NTQ) are divided into technical/functional qualifications and service-sector qualifications, depending on the characteristics of types (see [Table 3-6]). The central government (Ministry of Employment and Labor) supervises the qualifications under the National Technical Qualifications Act, and seven agencies are commissioned by the government to handle tasks in relation to qualifications. In addition, when problems occur through the results of regular monitoring and the analysis of the effectiveness of qualifications, the types need to be changed.
According to the trends in the number of NTQ holders by skill level, the number of qualification holders has gradually decreased over the past decade. The number of people who acquired highly skilled/high-tech qualifications such as professional engineer or master craftsman has increased, while the number of those who take the testing as
Table 3-5 ❙ Classifications and status of qualifications (April, 2012)
Classification No. of
qualification types
Relevant laws and regulations
Qualification administrator
National qualifications
National technical
qualifications 512
National Technical Qualifications Act (Ministry of Employment
and Labor)
17 ministries (7 agencies)
National qualifications under individual laws
and regulations
149 qualifications (833 types)
75 individual Business Act (individual ministries)
26 ministries･
authority･committee
Private qualifications
Recognized private
qualifications1) 88
Framework Act on Qualifications (Ministry of Education)
12 ministries (53 agencies) Registered private
qualifications2) 4,061
Framework Act on Qualifications (Ministry of Education)
1,198 agencies
Intra-company
qualifications 116
Employment Insurance Act (Ministry of Employment
and Labor)
55 businesses
Note: 1) Private qualifications are designated as recognized private qualifications by making a registration process and permitting approval from the government, so in the above table, 88 recognized private qualifications overlap with registered private qualifications.
2) Registered private qualifications were implemented in 2008, and the data is based on March, 2013.
Source: Park & Chung (2013)
Table 3-6 ❙ Trends in the number of NTQ holders by skill level (2003-2012)
(Unit: person)
Classification 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2012
Total 1,111,186 1,081,398 1,008,833 856,699 634,058 530,034
Professional engineer 1,227 1,388 1,806 2,096 1,668 1,407
Master craftsman 1,113 2,997 1,751 1,977 3,061 3,556
Engineer 73,088 102,267 80,484 68,329 55,350 51,292
Industrial engineer 62,046 91,424 90,551 64,821 43,558 40,752
Craftsman 350,789 357,852 329,188 387,335 345,697 308,324
Office service 622,923 525,470 505,053 332,141 184,724 124,703
Source: Human Resource Development Service of Korea (2013)
Part Ⅱ. The Present of Secondary Vocational Education in Korea
52
well is expected to decline gradually. Accordingly, it is imperative for the NTQ to develop qualifications in new industrial areas, while reorganizing highly skilled/
high-tech qualifications, in order to meet the changing demands of the workforce caused by a shift in industrial structure and technology advancement.
Under the relevant laws and regulations, the qualification system in Korea is instituted for the following sectors: ones directly connected to the life, health, and safety of people; ones directly connected to public interest, such as national defense, public security, education and national key industries; ones in which the operation of private qualifications is difficult due to a low demand for the acquisition of qualifications;
and other sectors deemed necessary by the government. Accordingly, private qualifications cover sectors that national qualifications do not include.
Private qualifications are divided into recognized private qualifications and registered private ones. In 1997, private institutions were entitled to establish/operate qualifications, thereafter, managing a diversity of qualifications in a systematic manner became difficult. In response, since 2008, a registration system for private qualifications has been implemented. The registration system for private qualifications, or registered private qualifications, means that a private institution that establishes/operates new qualifications must register with the related specialized organization in accordance with the conditions (refer to Article 17 of the Framework Act on Qualifications). In order to gain confidence in private qualifications and enhance the prevalence of the qualifications in society, the government provides recognized private qualifications that are recognized through a certain screening process. Separately, intra-company qualifications are run by a single employer or as a group for the development of their employees’
skills.
The qualification system in Korea usually has been in line with economic growth.
However, it faces the unsolved challenges of improving the usability and ensuring the flexibility. In particular, with the introduction of the human resources development system that underlies competencies based on the NCS (National Competency Standards), it is inevitable to reform the qualification system. In other words, the reforms include improving the assessment method of individual qualifications, modifying the general
qualification items, and, from a macroscopic perspective, establishing a framework that links education training with qualifications. In particular, increasing attention is being paid to a “process assessment qualification” for the linkage of work-education- qualification, or a qualification that is granted to a student who completes training courses according to a certain standard.
Part Ⅱ. The Present of Secondary Vocational Education in Korea
54
References
In Korean
Huh, Y. J., & J. W. Kim (2013). A Study on Measures to Provide Support for Specialized High Schools in Association with Government Ministries, Local Autonomous Governments and Industries. KRIVET.
Human Resource Development Service of Korea (2013). National Technical Qualification Statistical Yearbook.
Jang, M. H. et al. (2012). Exploring Improvement Plans for Vocational High School Curriculum in response to the 2009 Curriculum Reform. KRIVET.
Jang, M. H. et al. (2014). Measures for Improving Teachers’ Appointment/Training System to Enhance Secondary Vocational Education [interim report]. KRIVET.
Lee, Y. S. et al. (2013). A Study for the Draft Plan for National Curriculum Frameworks Reform for Elementary and Middle School for Improving Specialized Curriculum of Specialized High Schools. KRIVET.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2012). National Curriculum Frameworks for Elementary and Middle School.
Ministry of Education (or Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development or Ministry of Education, Science and Technology) and Korean Educational Development Institute (1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2013). Educational Statistics Yearbook.
National Employment Strategy Meeting (2010). The Policy for Advancement of High School Vocational Education.
Presidential Committee on Education Innovation (1996). Methods for Education Reform to Establish New Education System (Ⅱ).
Presidential Committee on Education Innovation (2005). A Plan for Innovation in Vocational Education System.
In English
OECD (2013). Education at a Glance 2013: OECD Indicators. OECD.
Park, Y. B., & J. S. Chung (2013). Vocational Education and Training in Korea. KRIVET.