Hyundai Motor and Kia said Monday that they are accelerating efforts to cultivate "AI engineers" equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) utilization capabilities through their employment-linked training program, the 'Softier Bootcamp.'
The companies stated that they will recruit for the 9th cohort of the Softier Bootcamp, which is linked to new graduate hiring in the software field, from today until the 3rd of next month. "Softier" is a portmanteau of "software" and "engineer," also carrying the meaning of pioneers (frontiers) in the vehicle software sector.
The Softier Bootcamp is a representative program through which Hyundai Motor and Kia recruit outstanding software talent. This 9th cohort is an employment-linked training program scheduled to run for approximately eight weeks, from December 28 this year to February 26 next year.
Following the shift of its curriculum toward AI in the previous 8th cohort, Hyundai Motor and Kia have set the top priority for this round as cultivating "AI engineers" who can define tasks using AI tools in practical work and carry out everything from designing solutions to execution.
This is in line with the intent to provide more talent with opportunities to strengthen their AI utilization capabilities and help them perform on-the-job tasks quickly upon employment.
The 9th cohort will recruit applicants in a total of three fields: △backend development, △data engineering and data architecture, and △service planning. Eligible candidates are university students (four-year domestic or international universities/bachelor's degree or higher) who have graduated or are scheduled to graduate between August 2026 and August 2027. Those wishing to participate may apply through the official website.
Hyundai Motor and Kia will conduct online assessments and interviews with applicants to select trainees who possess foundational competencies and knowledge in the relevant fields. The training program is operated entirely free of charge. Trainees will be provided with the equipment and software necessary for the education.
Trainees will experience actual on-site development processes through theoretical instruction and team-based project execution. In particular, this 9th cohort adds new AI utilization 1:1 mentoring sessions to the lectures on leveraging AI agents by current developers, which were first introduced in the 8th cohort, providing close support so that trainees can efficiently utilize AI during project execution. Additionally, trainees can enhance their practical skills through job-specific meetups and project mentoring where Hyundai Motor and Kia staff interact directly with them.
Hyundai Motor and Kia will grant trainees who complete the training program a final interview opportunity for new graduate hiring. This allows trainees to secure an opportunity to strengthen their capabilities in their desired field and transition into a career.
The Softier Bootcamp, which began in 2023, has cultivated approximately 600 trainees through the 8th cohort. Graduates are leading the development of the domestic software industry by working not only at Hyundai Motor and Kia but also in software positions at major domestic IT companies.
Jin Eun-sook, President in charge of ICT at Hyundai Motor and Kia, stated, "We will continue to strengthen our training programs and selection processes in line with the latest trends, and sustain investments for discovering software talent and promoting AX (AI Transformation)."
in INDUSTRY
