"Interns are now 'Gold Interns' too"... Even with impressive credentials, rejection after rejection

"These days, they call it 'Gold Intern.' Companies only hire interns who have previously been interns."

On the 14th, at the training site of "Our WON Youth IT Academy," part of Woori Financial Group's K-New Deal Academy program, college student Choi Min-seong (26) expressed his views on the current youth employment crisis in this manner. This highlights the reality that not only regular recruitment but even internships have become difficult to secure without prior work experience, as companies increasingly prefer "new hires with experience."

Choi, who is currently on leave after completing his third year's second semester of university, reportedly applied for 20 internships during this summer break alone and was rejected from all of them. He stated, "These days, AI (artificial intelligence) technology has advanced so much that regular recruitment itself has decreased significantly, and the positions available for new graduates have become extremely limited."

This is not a concern unique to Choi. Upon visiting four K-New Deal Academy sites in Seoul and Busan directly, it was found that all young people undergoing training share the same worries. The K-New Deal Academy is a youth employment program supported by the government where companies operate their own job training programs.

Previously, having sufficient "credentials" such as certificates or awards from extracurricular activities was enough to secure employment, but the current trend requires work experience as well. Park Jun-hyeong (26), who is taking the "Smart Port & Marine Logistics Data Practical Course" at SK Planet, said, "After graduating from university, I studied for certificates and aligned my language test scores, but there was nothing I could write in the work experience section of my resume." He added, "Although I took programming courses like Python at university, they did not provide much help."

The advancement of AI technology has also rapidly changed the job market. Kim Tae-hong (31), who is taking the same course, said, "Even the application form formats have completely changed." He noted, "It wasn't like that in the first half of this year, but when I looked at the self-introduction forms for the second half, many asked about AI utilization experience."

The youth employment problem in regional areas is even more serious. Son Jin-young (29), who is taking the "Ananti Hospitality Service Experience Design" course jointly conducted by Ananti and Busan Design Promotion Institute in Busan, pointed out, "In regional areas, there are significant differences in job quality and scale compared to the metropolitan area." She added, "There are also differences in salaries and welfare benefits, and opportunities to receive relevant job training are extremely scarce."

In this situation, it is analyzed that the K-New Deal Academy is expected to have a positive effect by providing young people with work experience and expanding their employment opportunities. Unlike existing vocational training programs, its distinctiveness lies in the fact that company practitioners directly meet with young people to provide practical training and offer opportunities to experience the actual workplace.

The part that trainees expect most while progressing through the K-New Deal Academy program is practical experience. Although there are slight differences depending on the program, companies commonly operate processes such as corporate visits and on-site internships while conducting both theoretical and practical education in parallel.

Choi Jong-kwan (27), who is taking Woori Financial Group's training course, said, "As an information and communications engineering major, I took many theoretical classes at school, but the K-New Deal Academy provided practical education actually needed in the workplace, such as financial app development." He added, "I think I will be able to grow more if I develop actual services while working on project assignments." Choi Sol (23) also stated, "It was good that there were corporate visits and mentoring by current professionals, allowing me to encounter various finance-related jobs even if not specifically in the financial IT field."

The K-New Deal Academy provides job training programs for young people across various industries including entertainment, finance, and tourism, not only major conglomerates such as Samsung, SK, Hyundai, and LG.

SM Entertainment's subsidiary SM Universe showcased a differentiated program to cultivate "K-pop Dance Instructors." This is a process that systematically educates K-pop dance not just as a hobby but also connects it to employment or entrepreneurship.

On the 14th, at the SM Universe practice room in Daechi-dong, Seoul, trainees were in the midst of house dance practice, moving their bodies to lively music. In the morning, they spent about three hours practicing various genres of dance such as house, locking, K-pop, and popping, while in the afternoon, various job training including foreign languages and portfolio writing was conducted.

In terms of arts and physical education, where employment opportunities are fewer, the creation of a new market like "K-pop Dance Instructor" is expected to help broaden the employment doors for young people. Trainee Lee Ji-hyun (25) stated, "Most friends who shared my dream have given up on it and become office workers." She added, "Although the future is still uncertain, I want to try working as a dance academy instructor or a translator related to dance."

The K-New Deal Academy can also provide an opportunity for motivation to young people who have lost confidence due to numerous employment failures, in addition to providing job training. Kim Min-ae, Busan DesignIn Jin-heung-won (Team Lead), said, "Many students have been emotionally hurt by repeated employment failures, and quite a few are crying during counseling sessions." She added, "I think the K-New Deal Academy plays a significant role in opening up the minds of job seekers and providing motivation."