SeoulTech Holds Progress Update Info Session for Local  SMB R&D Industrial Intern Support Project
Provides long-term practical experiences for engineering students and supports employment efforts of SMBs

SeoulTech President Kim Jong Ho held an informational session to share the progress and exemplary cases for the Local Small and Medium-sized Business (SMB) R&D Industrial Intern Support Project at the K Hotel in Seoul on January 25th.

President Kim Jong Ho, Director of Foundation for Research and Business Industrial Academic Cooperation Lee Dong Hoon, the heads and employees of participating companies, SeoulTech students, and coordinating professors joined the event and shared the project’s progress and discussed the direction of the project for the new year. 

The Local SMB R&D Industrial Intern Support Project was mainly managed by SeoulTech starting in 2018 in order to support the employment efforts of local SMBs and to provide practical intern experiences for students with the support of the Korea Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology.
The Korea Ministry of SMEs and Startups allowed students to participate in long-term six month internships to provide more in-depth and hands-on internship experiences with guaranteed minimum wages. This contributed both to the development of local SMBs and enhanced students’ R&D efforts.

The informational session provided updates on marketing and hiring additional participants, matching between students and companies, pre-internship preparation and mentoring support including general support for industrial internship participants.

SeoulTech Foundation for Research and Business Professor Cho Hee Geun said that an analysis of the internship progress reports showed that the employment rates of the participating students increased 5.3% for engineering students and 23.6% for energy and biotechnology major students and claimed that the R&D internships provided solid employment support for students. 37.5% of SeoulTech students were hired at the respective companies that they interned at and 25% of the students were able to secure employment during the course of their internships.
Students who participated in the project said that they were able to gain hands-on experiences with active workers in the industry. Students showed high levels of satisfaction in the project and said they hoped that additional students would be able to participate in the program to gain the experience that many students lack as they seek employment after graduation.

President Kim Jong Ho said, “The six month internships provided both the students and the participating companies with great opportunities to actively apply their education and gain additional experience with companies receiving support for research and a chance to advertise their companies.”