Die Deutsch-Koreanische Industrie- und Handelskammer führte mit der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH eine Umfrage unter deutschen Firmen in Südkorea durch. "Was ist zu tun, wenn es Ihren Mitarbeitern an relevanter Praxiserfahrung mangelt?" war einer der zentralen Aspekte der Umfrage.
An excellent location, highly-qualified employees – in Korea, work experience is keyWhat German companies would like to see on the Korean labour market
Korean university graduates are highly qualified, ambitious and disciplined – and there are a lot of them. Competition for a vacant position is tough, and work experience is often the decisive factor. 'What do you do if your employees lack the relevant practical skills?' is one of the questions that the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH asked companies with a German stake in South Korea.
What are the needs in employee vocational and educational training (VET) and continuing professional development (CPD)?
Over 20 of the 180 companies with a German stake in Korea that were approached participated in the survey. Despite the relatively low participation rate, the survey provides insight into the needs of these companies.
The vast majority of the participating companies is basically very satisfied with South Korea as a location and the qualifications of their employees. Most companies said that vacancies could be filled in a reasonable time. For the next five years, half of the companies expect to continue to need large numbers of employees.
Nevertheless, the surveyed companies feel that VET and CPD for their skilled work force are important and could be improved. Almost all companies provide additional training, predominantly on site, for newly hired employees in their own courses to prepare them for their jobs.
Most companies stated that newly hired employees primarily miss technical skills and practical experience, and needed training in this field. This applies particularly to university graduates, who have had little relevant work experience at the time of hiring and in addition, have not yet been able to develop important soft skills.