The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education has announced plans to establish a Meister High School tailored to the Honam region's semiconductor mega project.
On October 26, a policy forum was held at the Gwangju Education Training Center, where officials unveiled plans for training semiconductor technology talent.
The proposed "Gwangju Semiconductor Meister High School" is set to open in March 2029, with a goal of training around 2,000 semiconductor industry professionals annually by 2030.
By next month, the office will finalize the implementation strategy and target schools, aiming to apply for the Education Ministry's project next year.
The school will accommodate 128 students per grade, totaling eight classes.
Currently, there are seven Meister High Schools designated by the Education Ministry in the semiconductor field across the country.
Five of these schools are operational in regions including North Chungcheong, South Chungcheong, Daegu, Seoul, and North Gyeongsang, while schools in Busan and Gyeonggi Province are scheduled to open in March 2028.
The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education plans to shift the focus of Mokpo Technical High School and Haenam Technical High School, which were designated as Meister Schools this year in AI and energy sectors, to the semiconductor field.
These two schools, along with the future Gwangju Semiconductor Meister High School and the Jeonnam Gwangju-style Glocal Meister High School, will be developed into specialized semiconductor institutions, aiming to produce 630 graduates annually.
Additionally, ten vocational high schools in Gwangju will restructure their programs to focus on semiconductor-related occupations, with plans to train 800 students.
Key programs in electrical, electronic, information, and communication fields will shift towards semiconductor equipment and control, while foundational programs in machinery and chemical engineering will be revamped to cover semiconductor processes, equipment, and post-processing.
Joint training centers will also be established in collaboration with local universities such as Chonnam National University, Chosun University, Mokpo National University, and Suncheon National University, as well as semiconductor research institutions.
During the forum, Lee Gyu-pil, former vice president of Samsung Electronics' semiconductor research center, and Seo Woon-seok, principal of the first Meister High School in the semiconductor field, Chungbuk Semiconductor High School, were invited to discuss workforce demand and collaboration strategies.
Kim Dae-jung, Superintendent of the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, stated, "We will establish a vocational education system that aligns with industry needs through the development of specialized schools, restructuring of programs, and connections to joint education and employment opportunities, ensuring that large-scale investments in the semiconductor industry lead to regional growth."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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