Seoul City is launching a large-scale project to nurture young creators specialized in the content industry to alleviate workforce shortages and support youth employment and entrepreneurship.
The city announced that it will recruit participants for the ‘Youth Creator Employment and Entrepreneurship Support Project’ from May 14 to June 3. Eligible applicants are young people aged between 19 and 39 who reside in Seoul or wish to pursue a career in the content field in Seoul.
As the export of K-content increases, the content industry is growing, but 66.9% of domestic content companies responded that they “cannot hire desired talent in a timely manner.” In response, the city set a goal to support the employment of over 80 individuals and the start-up of over 50 individuals this year.
This year, a new educational curriculum was established to cultivate creators with AI technology integration capabilities. An online common course (1 month) will be operated for 500 people, and 240 people will be selected from among the graduates to receive a specialized AI convergence course (3 months) in three fields: virtual humans, immersive content, and webtoons, offered both online and offline.
Along with the specialized course, participants will also have opportunities for content company tours, job projects, job matching, and employment consulting. Participating companies include Galaxy Corporation and Just Peace Foundation.
For those aspiring to start a business, business consulting is offered alongside showcases and demo days to support their entry into the initial market. Venture capital firms such as SmartStudy Ventures and Keyclops will participate in the demo day evaluations to assess and connect outstanding creations to commercialization.
Applications can be submitted online through Seoul City’s Sang Sang Biz Platform website.
Joo Yong-tae, the head of Seoul’s Economic Office, stated, “We will cultivate talents that meet industrial demands through practical education aligned with technological changes such as AI and XR, and simultaneously solve workforce shortages in the content industry and youth unemployment issues.”