Gyeonggi Province Launches New '50-60 Connection Jobs Project' This Year

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province will launch the '50-60 Connection Jobs Project' beginning this year, which involves providing employment incentives to companies hiring workers in their 50s and 60s within the province, thereby creating stable jobs for middle-aged workers.

The '50-60 Connection Jobs Project' was first introduced under the seventh civilian administration to provide stable employment for middle-aged baby boomers in their 50s and 60s within the province who are designing a new chapter in life after early retirement, while addressing labor mismatches in small and medium-sized enterprises.

The project operates by selecting 200 middle-aged Gyeonggi residents aged 50 or older but under 65 and matching them with small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 300 employees within the province (including manufacturing, information and communications services, and health and welfare services).

In particular, as part of active response to Japan's export regulations, the province will prioritize and support affected companies within the region.

To support a stable work environment, the province will provide employment incentives to SMEs hiring workers in their 50s and 60s for up to six months: three months as interns and three months as full-time employees.

Specifically, employment incentives will be fully covered during the initial three-month internship period. After evaluation and transition to full-time employment, if employment is maintained for six months, an additional three months of incentive payments will be provided.

Additionally, to strengthen the job competency of middle-aged job seekers, participating companies will be offered job-related training and employment consulting on essential job-seeking skills such as interview and resume writing techniques.

In relation to this, the province will hold the 'Gyeonggi Province 50-60 Connection Jobs Business Briefing Session' at the Gyeonggi Women's Capability Development Center (Yongin) starting at 2 p.m. on the 10th, inviting companies with fewer than 300 employees within the province.

At this event, the province plans to explain the project direction, objectives, and detailed implementation plans to encourage active participation from companies.

Lim Byung-joo, head of the Jobs and Economy Policy Division of the province, said, "Through this project, we will discover jobs and labor that both middle-aged workers and companies are seeking, thereby resolving labor mismatches in the industrial field."