The Ministry of Environment is launching extensive support for training chemical safety management experts. The Ministry of Environment (Minister Kim Wan-seop) announced that it will sign a business agreement with the Chemical Safety Agency, Korea Environmental Preservation Agency, and seven specialized graduate schools nationwide at the Chemical Safety Agency (located in Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju) on Monday, the 17th. This agreement was established to systematically cultivate professional personnel for chemical safety management and accident prevention, and to strengthen practical education and employment support tailored to industry demands.
The specialized graduate schools participating in this agreement are seven universities including △Hazard testing field (Daegu Catholic University, University of Seoul, Hoseo University), △Hazard and risk assessment management field (Kyungsung University, Seokyeong University), △Handling facility safety management field (Chonnam National University, Korea National University of Transportation). Each university will operate practice-oriented curricula and plan to cultivate customized talent needed by the industry in cooperation with the government and related institutions.
The Ministry of Environment has been promoting the ‘Chemical Safety Management Specialized Graduate School’ project since 2015. This is in response to the strengthened chemical safety management system following the implementation of the Chemical Control Act, Chemical Registration and Evaluation Act, and Act on Safety Management of Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides (known as the three chemical laws). The specialized graduate schools are currently establishing advanced education systems that combine the three chemical laws with big data analysis in their graduate programs, producing talents with professional competencies required in industrial fields.
Through this business agreement, the government and each institution will cooperate in various ways to cultivate professional personnel. The Ministry of Environment will be responsible for policy and financial support, while the Chemical Safety Agency will operate internship and field training programs for students. The Korea Environmental Preservation Agency will provide various educational courses to improve the practical capabilities of masters and doctoral-level professionals. The specialized graduate schools will be responsible for recommending industry-tailored talent and supporting education and training costs.
Additionally, the Ministry of Environment and Chemical Safety Agency will hold an academic symposium on university annual evaluation and specialized graduate school development plans for two days starting February 17th, along with the signing of the business agreement. They will also operate a program for master’s and doctoral students to tour the internal facilities of the Chemical Safety Agency, and provide practical training on chemical management and safety system operations, along with employment support courses.
Park Yeon-jae, Director of Environmental Health Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, stated, “Chemical safety management is very important as it protects the environment while simultaneously driving corporate development,” adding, “We will provide maximum support so that each specialized graduate school can focus on cultivating chemical safety management experts by comprehensively considering the latest domestic and international systems, policies, social conditions, and advanced science and technology.”
With the strengthening of the professional personnel training system through this agreement, companies will be able to secure more skilled personnel, and socially, chemical accident prevention and safety management capabilities are expected to improve. Going forward, it will be important for the government, academia, and industry to cooperate closely to establish a safe chemical management system.