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Samsung chief invests in young people for WorldSkills Lyon
A young person competes in the polymechanics program of the 59th National Skills Competition held at Kumoh Technical High School in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
By Ko Dong-hwan
IT giant sponsors National Skills Competition for 18th straight year
The chief of Samsung Electronics is investing in the nation’s young people to prepare them for this year’s WorldSkills Competition, a biennial global event that will be held in Lyon, France, next month, according to the global company on Monday.
The competition showcases the technical skills of young people across six key industrial sectors.
Samsung Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s commitment is part of the company’s ongoing support for young people since 2007. This mission, along with other company initiatives targeting this age group, reflects his belief that the nation’s future economy hinges on how well the next generation of workers is prepared.
Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong / Yonhap
Samsung, the overall event presenter of the 47th iteration of the international contest to be held at Eurexpo Lyon, has been supporting the competition since Shizuoka in 2007 without missing an event. Since 2013 in Leipzig, Germany, the company has been an exclusive event presenter.
In addition to supporting the event, Samsung has been providing its young employees who are entering the competition with technological support and necessary training in fields such as industrial machinery and mobile robotics. In 2007, the company established a dedicated bureau focused on training these workers to become national competitors. Currently, 24 employees from the national team are training for this year's competition, while 26 others are preparing to compete in Shanghai in 2026 under the company’s guidance.
Since Samsung's involvement in the WorldSkills Competition, its employees have contributed 34 gold, 19 silver and 12 bronze medals to the country’s overall tally of 190 during this period.
To support the competitive team and bolster the country’s manufacturing competence, Samsung has been focusing on local high school students since 2007. This initiative followed an agreement the company made the previous year with the Ministry of Employment and Labor to enhance the industrial skillsets of the nation’s young people.
As part of this commitment, Samsung donated 250 million won ($189,000) annually to the National Skills Competition for the 18th consecutive year. This year’s 59th seven-day event kicked off on Saturday in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, with around 1,800 competitors participating in 50 programs across categories including machinery, metal, transportation, electronics, electromechanics, construction, IT and crafts.
Samsung has been closely scouting exceptional participants from the competition, having hired 1,600 young people up until last year. For those eager to test themselves on the global stage, the Samsung chairman has provided systematic support. He personally visited the WorldSkills venues in Calgary in 2009 and Shanghai in 2022 to deliver pep talks to the national team. Last year, he also visited Gumi Electronic Technical High School, where he pledged continued support for the students.
“Our Samsung Software Academy for Youth (SSAFY) has expanded its focus from university graduates to include high school graduates as well. Each year, we see 6,000 graduates from 54 meister schools (dedicated to technical training and employment after graduation) across the country, and we've decided to support and guide them to help address the labor shortage in the software sector,” a Samsung official said.
“To further accelerate our discovery of young experts, we began hiring interns during school vacations in 2011. So far, Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Samsung SDI have hired 2,300 interns."