Gyeonggi Province Recruits 13,000 Participants for First Round of 'Youth Welfare Points' Program Offering Annual 1.2 Million Won

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gab-dong] Gyeonggi Province announced on the 31st that it will publicly recruit 13,000 participants for the first round of the 'Youth Welfare Points' program aimed at improving welfare benefits for young workers in the province and resolving job mismatches.

The 'Youth Welfare Points' program provides annual welfare points worth 1.2 million won to employed workers aged 19-39 residing in Gyeonggi Province earning monthly salaries of 3.34 million won or less, who work 36 hours or more per week at small and medium-sized enterprises, mid-sized companies, small business owners, and non-profit organizations in the province. Those who have completed mandatory military service have their application age extended by the duration of military service (maximum 3 years).

A total of 36,000 beneficiaries are expected this year, with 13,000 to be recruited in the first round in June, 13,000 in the second round in August, and 10,000 in the third round in October.

Selected applicants will receive 1.2 million won in welfare points (300,000 won quarterly). Selected beneficiaries can use products across various categories including cultural activities, self-development, and health management at 'Gyeonggi Youth Mall,' an online shopping space exclusively for the youth welfare points program. However, selected beneficiaries must verify their eligibility regarding residence, workplace size, and working hours every three months.

The recruitment period runs from 9:00 a.m. on June 1 to 6:00 p.m. on June 11. Applications can be submitted online at the Young Workers Support Project website (http://youth.jobaba.net). Applicants will then be selected based on △lower monthly salary in priority order, and in cases of equal salary, △length of continuous employment △length of residence in Gyeonggi Province will be evaluated, with selected beneficiaries to be announced on July 10.

The 'Youth Welfare Points' program is open to participants in other asset-building support programs including Tomorrow's Growth Savings Account, Young Workers in-Service Tomorrow's Growth Savings Account, and Young Workers Tomorrow's Growth Savings Account. However, beneficiaries cannot simultaneously participate in multiple programs if they are already participating in either the 'Small and Medium Enterprise Youth Worker Support Program' or the 'Youth Worker Savings Account' program, both operated by Gyeonggi Province. Additionally, workers at state-owned enterprises and public institutions are restricted from applying.

The province is implementing public My Data services to simplify submitted documents and enhance convenience during the application process. If applicants consent to utilizing public My Data, they can apply for the 'Youth Welfare Points' without submitting resident registration transcripts, national insurance enrollment documents, and health insurance payment confirmation certificates.

Starting this year, the maximum eligible age has been extended from 34 to 39 years old, which is expected to allow more young people to benefit from the program.

Lee In-yong, director of the Youth Opportunity Division at the province, said, "The youth welfare points program was created for young workers employed at small and medium-sized enterprises, mid-sized companies, and small business owners where welfare support is relatively lacking. We hope this will help improve the welfare of young workers, and we encourage participation in many other youth support programs operated by the province."

For more information regarding applications, inquire at the Gyeonggi Job Foundation consultation call center (1577-0014).