The Current Status and Assessment of Industry-academic Cooperation
1. The Current Status of Industry-academic Cooperation
to industry-academic cooperation in school settings. In this context, an excellent industrial instructor means a person who has wide experience of technical knowledge in industrial settings and teaches a class on a part-time or full-time basis. An employment support officer means a person who is in charge of various industry-academic cooperation activities (exploring companies for employment, career counseling, support of work experience, follow-up service, etc.) for employment support of specialized high school/Meister high school students. It is known that the support system for manpower is very helpful to lead to the engagement of schools in industry-academic cooperation.
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Source: Choi et al. (2013)
Figure 6-2 ❙ The content and directions of industry-academic cooperation exchanges at the secondary school level
Considering the characteristics of secondary vocational education, the content and directions of industry-academic cooperation exchanges are largely divided into three parts: material, personal, and information/knowledge exchanges. Material exchanges mean the movement of material resources such as facilities, equipment, and currency owned by schools or industries. In general, industries provide schools with their facilities for common use or donate industries’ facilities and equipment to schools.
They also provide scholarships. The movement of “school→industry” is done through a form of companies within schools. Personal exchanges are divided into three parts:
industrial personnel, teacher, and student exchanges. This cooperation is in the forms
of courses, training, field experience, and work experience. Finally, information and knowledge exchanges occur mainly in the direction of “industry→school,” which include such supporting activities as various consultations, the development of the process of education, and the development of the curriculum.
As shown in [Table 6-1] and [Table 6-2], a survey looked at how often specialized high schools and Meister high schools sought industrial-academic cooperation in Incheon/Chungnam. In general, industry-academic cooperation was frequently found in the direction of company→school. In addition, the survey suggested that Meister high schools sough more frequent cooperation than specialized high schools.
Table 6-1 ❙ The current status of industry-academic cooperation in the direction of school→ company
Classification Contents
Total
NA
Once per year (1 person)
2~3 times per year (2~5 persons)
Over 4 times per year
(over 6 persons)
Total
Meister high schools (n=116)
Company’s usage of school
facilities 92(79.3) 5(4.3) 9(7.8) 10(8.6)
Teachers delivering lectures in
industrial settings 112(96.6) 3(2.6) 0(0.0) 1(0.9)
Customized education at the
request of a company 74(63.8) 41(35.3) 0(0.0) 1(0.9)
Student employment at the
request of a company 19(16.4) 19(16.4) 64(55.2) 14(12.1)
Specialized high schools (n=1,016)
Company’s usage of school
facilities 965(95.0) 27(2.7) 20(2.0) 4(0.4)
Teachers delivering lectures in
industrial settings 1,008(99.2) 6(0.6) 1(0.1) 1(0.1)
Customized education at the
request of a company 921(90.7) 83(8.2) 6(0.6) 6(0.6)
Student employment at the
request of a company 493(48.5) 189(18.6) 268(26.4) 66(6.5) Source: Choi et al. (2013) Note: This data is only confined to specialized high schools/Meister high schools in Incheon/Chungnam.
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Table 6-2 ❙ The current status of industry-academic cooperation in the direction of company→school
Classification Contents
Total
NA Once per year
2~3 times per year
Over 4 times per
year
Total Meister high schools
Use industrial facilities 94(81.0) 9(7.8) 6(5.2) 7(6)
Provide instructors for special lectures 93(80.2) 10(8.6) 3(2.6) 10(8.6) Provide students with mentoring programs 81(69.8) 20(17.2) 10(8.6) 5(4.3)
Provide scholarships 108(93.1) 4(3.4) 4(3.4) -
Provide industrial-educational teachers 105(90.5) 1(0.9) 6(5.2) 4(3.4) Implement teachers’ work experience
in industrial settings 93(94.9) 2(2) 3(3.1) -
Implement teachers’ field experience
in industrial settings 90(91.8) 6(6.1) 2(2) -
Implement students’ work experience 19(19.4) 77(78.6) 2(2) - Implement students’ field experience 85(86.7) 9(9.2) 3(3.1) 1(1) Offer counsel to the school boards 32(32.7) 35(35.7) 26(26.5) 5(5.1) Participate in the development of the
educational process 86(87.8) 4(4.1) 7(7.1) 1(1)
Participate in the development of the
curriculum 87(88.8) 2(2) 6(6.1) 3(3.1)
Provide equipment for practical training 94(95.9) 4(4.1) - -
Total Specialized high schools
Use industrial facilities 911(89.7) 38(3.7) 13(1.3) 54(5.3) Provide instructors for special lectures 911(89.7) 62(6.1) 29(2.9) 14(1.4) Provide students with mentoring
programs 897(88.3) 35(3.4) 73(7.2) 11(1.1)
Provide scholarships 991(97.5) 18(1.8) 5(0.5) 2(0.2)
Provide industrial-educational teachers 971(95.6) 20(2) 11(1.1) 14(1.4) Implement teachers’ work experience
in industrial settings 999(98.3) 16(1.6) 1(0.1) -
Implement teachers’ field experience
in industrial settings 976(96.1) 36(3.5) 4(0.4) -
Implement students’ work experience 618(60.8) 268(26.4) 37(3.6) 93(9.2) Implement students’ field experience 890(87.6) 103(10.1) 14(1.4) 9(0.9) Offer counsel to the school boards 899(88.5) 55(5.4) 56(5.5) 6(0.6) Participate in the development of the
educational process 975(96.0) 30(3) 11(1.1) -
Participate in the development of the
curriculum 990(97.4) 22(2.2) 3(0.3) 1(0.1)
Provide equipment for practical training 1005(98.9) 9(0.9) 2(0.2) - Source: Choi et al., (2013).
Note: This data is only confined to specialized high schools/Meister high schools in Incheon/Chungnam.
(2) Industry-tailored Education
Tailored education is a traditional form of industry-academic cooperation education.
The purpose is to narrow the gap between the school curriculum and the demands of companies by administering a curriculum tailored to industrial demand. In Korea, specialized high schools and Meister high schools perform diverse types of industry- tailored education.
First, specialized high schools mainly provide “employment-customized” classes as part of industry-tailored education. The finances are provided by “A Project for the Cultivation of Manpower for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises” led by the Small and Medium Business Administration. Employment-customized classes is a program in which small and medium-sized companies that intend to recruit specialized high school students sign an agreement with the schools on employment guarantees, and then the related schools provide tailored education connected to industrial needs.
Figure 6-3 ❙ Procedures for the cultivation of manpower for specialized high schools by small and medium-sized enterprises
In 2013, 5,200 students from 150 specialized high schools took part in employment- customized classes through the project. High school seniors studied a curriculum tailored to meet the needs of companies, and in turn, they were employed at the relevant companies. So, this leads to a higher employment rate. Furthermore, small and medium enterprises that engage in employment-customized classed are entitled to a preferential selection as an alternative military service, and graduates who are
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employed at such selected companies can work as industrial skills workers. Therefore, this helps (male) high school graduates solve the problem of career interruptions.
Second, in Meister high schools, the operation of customized classes clearly shows one of the characteristics of industry-academic cooperation. The schools open and operate a program based on various industrial needs that are not covered in the regular curriculum, allowing students to improve their competencies.
Table 6-3 ❙ Operating strategy for Meister high schools by grade level
Classi-
fication Educational
objectives The contents of education
Methods of education Regular
curriculum After- school activities
Clubs (majors)
Clubs (liberal
arts)
Field experience/
training
Classes tailored to
industry
1st grade
￭ Intensify job key competency needed for industrial demand
▶
(1) Improve major key competency
- Major primary subjects ● - Acquire basic certificates ● - Understand the industrial
settings of major fields ●
- Explore specified majors ●
(2) Intensify job key competency
- Courses such as Korean language, Mathematics, and English by level
● - Cultivate foreign
languages (English and second foreign language)
●
(3) Others
- Improve creativity and
problem-solving skills ● ●
2nd grade
￭Intensify major intensive competency and improve foreign language ability
(1) Improve major intensive skills
- ... ... ●
- ... ...
(2) ... ...
3rd grade
￭ Improve field work skills and set up career development plan
(1) Improve field work skills
- ... ...
...
In Meister high schools, employment-customized classes are operated after the decision of recruitment-employment is made between the student and company, and the operation varies from school to school. In general, customized classes start at the end of the second year in order to create an academic atmosphere and motivate students to study. The classes use all types of methods, including after-school activities, field experience, and work experience, and focus on a curriculum tailored to industry needs that are not covered in the regular curriculum. Accordingly, the curriculum contents are determined by an industry requirement analysis, and generally include various fields such as job key competency, specialized skill ability, English, corporate culture, and work ethics.
Table 6-4 ❙ Example of a customized class in Gumi National Electronic Technical High School
Customized class
Number of students (person)
Core technology Common technology
LG Innotek1 20 Electronic circuits, components Process technology, understanding of organization, QC
LG Innoteck2 20 Electronic circuits, components Process technology, understanding of organization, QC
LG Innoteck3+ Canon 18 Electronic circuits, components Process technology, understanding of organization, QC
LUSEM+small &
medium-sized enterprises 20 PLC, hydraulic & air pneumatics Process technology, understanding of organization, QC
Samsung Display 19 PLC, hydraulic & air pneumatics Standards for educational plan of the customized class
Samsung Electronics 16 OPIC, the spirit of the Samsung Samsung self program Startup tailored class 1
(small & medium-sized enterprises)
18
Startup education, ECU (Electronic Control Unit), automation
Process technology, understanding of organization, QC
Korea Hydro & Nuclear
Power Co. Ltd.+ Hanwha 20 Electronic circuits, measurement Process technology, understanding of organization, QC
Hyundai Motor Company+
POSCO+STS 19 ECU, automation Process technology, understanding
of organization, QC
Total 170
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(3) Work experience
Work experience in specialized high schools is implemented across the nation under Article 7 of the “Vocational Education and Training Promotion Act,” National Curriculum Frameworks for Elementary and Middle Schools, and Guideline for the Organization/Operation of the Curriculum of Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education. The term work experience, however, includes programs with various purposes and forms, and can be divided as shown in [Table 5]. Only students who intend to get employed after graduation complete a work experience course, which is a form of dispatching in industries, whereas the rest of the students complete various training- related school activities and extracurricular activities. In the case of alternative training activities for students who wish to advance to college/university, work experience focuses mainly more on major-centered practical subjects, and less on occupation-oriented ones.
Table 6-5 ❙ Types of work experience programs in specialized high schools Classification Type of
implementation Detailed activities Period of
implementation
School activities
Alternative training activities in school
- Complete the special curriculum focusing on the specialized subjects
- Startup and specialized subjects club activities - Exhibition-related activities
1st~3rd grade Lectures by outside
professionals - Major or related fields
Extracurricular activities
Field experience programs
- Visit industries
- Career exploring activities - Visit exhibitions
Entrusted education
- Entrusted education of joint training centers - Complete the curriculum of other vocational
education institutes
- Participate in training of related education in junior college
(Dispatching to industries) work experience
- Dispatch only when connected to employment
(regarded as a period of probation) 3rd grade
Source: Jang, Kim, Choi and Gil (2011).
More specifically, work experience for dispatching to industries is as follows. In Korea, in the case of the school-based vocational education system put in place, work experience that provides students with practical skills in industrial settings is very important. Indeed, most of the specialized high schools/Meister high schools operate work experience for dispatching to industries. In general, the training is operated in the second semester of third grade, but it depends on the schools and companies.
Students make a standard agreement with companies to start work experience, and when they graduate, many students are converted to general workers.
In recent years, there has been a growing demand for the improvement of the system, which is driven by a series of accidents by trainees that were dispatched to industrial settings. In addition, there are other issues, such as the status of field trainees (students versus workers), the operation of work experience which does not
Table 6-6 ❙ The operation of work experience in specialized high schools/Meister high schools
Classification Detailed contents
Target 3rd-grade students in specialized high schools/Meister high schools (for employment)
Dispatch period Generally after completing the first semester of 3rd grade
Acceptance of credits It is possible for students to substitute major subjects with work experience organized in the second semester of third grade
Agreement A standard agreement is made between student-school-company
Status Student
Subject of leading the program School
Period (on average) One to three months
Training content varies depending on companies (focusing on the often allocated jobs related division)
Wages
Similar to normal wage workers (However, 70% of wages are paid during the probation, or the wages are sometimes paid at the minimum wage level)
Connection to employment Generally leading to employment
Related regulations
- Duty of work experience : stipulated by the law (there’s no legal binding) - The contents of work experience in industrial settings depends on the
companies
- work experience in-charge personnel in industrial settings: depends on the companies
Source: Choi et al. (2012). p.25
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different from work, and poor conditions for companies that operate work experience.
(4) School enterprises
The school enterprises support project is one that provides support to utilize school enterprises in the on-site training and research of students and teachers, and to promote commercialization by transferring technologies to industries (Article 36 of the Promotion of Industrial Education and Industry-Academic Cooperation Act). Accordingly, schools are entitled to have a department that directly manufactures, processes, repairs, and sells goods, provides services, etc. in connection with a specific course of study or curricula. For the stable establishment of the school enterprise system, the development support project was promoted from August 2004.
In other words, in a school enterprise project, an enterprise is built as part of a school department and provides students with work-site experience and field education (nurturing industry-adaptive manpower). In this process, profits coming from the sales of goods and services are reinvested in education, which creates a virtuous circle.
School enterprises contribute to not only improving field competency, but also to developing the ability of students to start up businesses by connecting the actual activity of corporate operation with the school curriculum. Furthermore, schools take the lead in operating school enterprises so they can be capable of designing and operating field programs that meet the demands of both students and companies based on various programs in the school curriculum. Through the program, students can acquire technology applicable to the industry sector after they graduate. In this process, they could also transfer their acquired technology to industries. If profits come from school enterprises, these are reinvested in education, therefore contributing to the development of schools. There are incentive measures for industry-academic cooperation with the provision of compensation for teachers and students.
Source: Kim et al. (2010)
Figure 6-4 ❙ The system for school enterprise support projects
Table 6-7 ❙ Size of support for school enterprises
(Unit: Korean won in 100 millions, schools) Classification College/
university Junior college Vocational
high schools Total Budget First graduating
class
2004 18 17 5 40
2005 18 20 7 45 230
Second graduating class
2006 19 18 13 50
2007 17 18 13 48 300
Third graduating class
2008 16 23 27 66
2009 19 25 24 68 300
10th~14th graduating class
2010 13 21 19 53 120
2011 13 21 17 51 110
2012 18 18 16 52 130
Total 151 181 141 473 1,190
Source: Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2010b)
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(5) Teachers’ work-site training in industries
In recent years, secondary vocational education in Korea has made progress in various ways to meet industrial demands. However, national support for strengthening teachers’ professionalism was insufficient. The quality of education is influenced by the quality of teachers. In other words, it is very important to improve the knowledge/
technology of teachers, which is a means of delivering the customized curriculum needed by industrial demands. Because teachers in charge of specialized subjects closely related to majors can only participate in colleges, universities and training institutes, they found it difficult to meet the demands of the industry sector.
In this context, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor for the “work-site training for teachers in specialized high schools, etc.” The purpose of the MOU was to provide graduates from specialized high schools, etc. with education in the technology and skills necessary for industrial sites by strengthening the teaching competency of teachers in specialized high schools, etc. to improve the quality of education. Accordingly, considering the specialized high schools participating in work-site training or the conditions of companies, a model of wok-site training was developed, with various forms and periods ranging from two weeks to six months. This allowed schools and companies to choose what they wanted depending on their conditions. Unlike the existing theory-intensive training, teachers improved their work-site professionalism by receiving a simple theory education in an industrial setting and participating in a certain amount of work-site training.
Table 6-8 ❙ The contents of work-site training for teachers in specialized high schools/Meister high schools
Classification Name of course Training location
Total number of
students
Curriculum component
ratio
Companies providing in-service training
Short-term course (2 weeks;
50 hours)
CNC lathe/machining center
The Human Resources Development Institute (HRDI) of Korea University of Technology and Education
Within 10 persons
2:4:4 NST Co., Ltd.
Automated production
control system using PLC 2:3:5
LS Industrial System Co., Ltd., Device
ENG, etc.
Practical skills in hydaulic and pneumatic controls for factory automation
2:3:5 Festo Korea, Bosch Korea, etc.
LED driving circuit design
and applied practical skills 2:3:5 ACE Electronics, etc.
Practical skills in electronic controls for automobiles
Seoul Jungsu Campus of
Korea Polytechnics 2:4:4 Hyundai Motor
Co., Ltd.
Practical skills in LED applied and light controls
Gwangju Campus of Korea
Polytechnics 2:4:4
Korea Photonics Technology Institute,
Innocem Korea Co., Ltd.
Practical skills in machining center and an introduction to five-axis processing machine
New Technology Training Center of Korea Polytechnics
2:4:4 Advantech Korea Co., Ltd.
Multi-machine PLC
integrated MPS control 2:4:4 UREATac Co., Ltd,,
SeoJin Instech, etc.
Mid-term course (1 month;
120 hours)
Practical skills in semiconductor processes
The Human Resources Development Institute (HRDI) of Korea University of Technology and
Education Within 5
persons
2:3:5 RUSSELL
Practical skills in network installation and operation
New Technology Training Center of Korea Polytechnics
1:4:5
Force10Networks, SNETSYSTEMS, Co, Reputer Co., Ltd., etc.
Source: Kang et al. (2011)
Under the MOU, work-site training was implemented on a trial basis for teachers in charge of specialized subjects in industrial specialized high schools in 2012. The training was provided by the Human Resources Development Institute (HRDI) of Korea University of Technology and Education and Korea Polytechnics. The training
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was preferentially intended for teachers in charge of curriculum directly connected to practical skills among those who teach in industrial specialized high schools. The trial work-site training course was composed of two parts: eight short-term courses for two weeks or 50 hours, and two mid-term courses for one month, or 120 hours. More specifically, the contents of the curriculum comprised CNC lathe and machining, semiconductors, system controls, LEDs, etc. Each teacher in the training course was required to complete a certain amount of work-site training. To do this, the work-site training program was supported by industries, including NST Co. Ltd., LS Industrial System, Korea Photonics Technology Institute, and Force10Networks. In general, the theory class accounted for about 10~20% of the total training course, practical training represented 30~40%, and work experience classes 40~50%.
in the work-site training of teachers in specialized high schools turned out to be significantly effective in strengthening the professionalism of teachers (Kang et al., 2011). Nonetheless, given the characteristics of the industrial settings, there were significant personal/material limitations in providing a small number of teachers with long-term in-service training. So, it was found that the government’s full support was needed.