Vocational Research and Career Development Support
To support citizens' career development in response to future societal changes, we expand support for lifelong career development,
enhance digital functions of career guidance techniques, and discover and disseminate information on new and future occupations.
Occupation and Job Research
The occupation and job research project provides information on occupations, jobs, and future job prospects through the publication of the Korean Dictionary of Occupations, the Korean Occupational Information Survey of Incumbents, and the Korean Job Outlook analysis.
Korean Dictionary of Occupations
Since 1980, the Korean Dictionary of Occupations has been systematically researching and analyzing the rapidly changing world of occupations due to scientific and technological advancements and changes in industrial structure. It provides standardized occupational information to job seekers, career and vocational counselors, HR managers, and labor policymakers. According to the 5th integrated edition of the Korean Dictionary of Occupations published in 2020 (based on 2012-2019 surveys), the total number of domestic occupations is 12,816, an increase of 3,525 occupations compared to the 4th integrated edition (based on 2003-2011 surveys). The dictionary contains information on professions and jobs existing in the Korean labor market, providing occupational information across 13 areas, including essential information such as job titles, job overviews, and job duties, as well as additional details like formal education, skill periods, job functions, work intensity, and physical activities.
Korean Occupational Information Survey of Incumbents
Conducted annually since 2001, the Korean Occupational Information Survey of Incumbents collects response data from 30 incumbents for each representative occupational group in Korea, focusing on the detailed classification units of the Korean Employment Classification of Occupations (KECO). The survey covers four questionnaire areas: job performance abilities and values, general work activities, work environment and interests, and knowledge and personality. Significant items are surveyed on a four-year cycle. Survey results are analyzed through inter-occupational comparisons and used for career choices, career planning, career counseling, and job search and recruitment for youth and adults.
Korean Job Outlook
The Korean Job Outlook (2021-2023 Korean Job Outlook: Integrated Job Prospects) analyzes "job prospects for the next ten years" for 537 occupations to provide future job outlook information. This output is used for occupation selection and career development by youth, young adults, middle-aged individuals, and career counseling professionals.
Future New Occupation Research and Survey
The Future New Occupation Research and Survey project explores promising new occupations for the future job market through various research and activities and develops strategies to promote them.
'Research on Discovering New Occupations with Job Creation Potential'
This research aims to support national job creation and career choices by identifying new occupations or those that will drive national growth under changing socio-economic structures and linking them with government policies. Research topics are selected by themes, covering areas such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, eco-friendly practices, health and welfare, and culture and the arts. Research results are used with government initiatives to foster new occupations, develop and disseminate human resources in new growth areas, and create career planning programs.
'New Occupation Status Survey and Dissemination Support' Project
As a follow-up to the new occupation discovery research, this project monitors the current status of previously announced new occupations to gauge their establishment. It aims to raise public awareness and build consensus. Analysis results are provided to the public in various content formats to support establishing and activating new occupations. An annual "New Occupation and Future Occupation Idea Contest" is held to explore ways to promote and activate new occupations.
- 2023 New Occupation and Future Occupation Idea Contest Poster and Photo
Job-Seeking Capability Enhancement Program Development
The Job-Seeking Capability Enhancement Program Development project develops and disseminates programs to help job seekers and the unemployed independently enhance their career development and employment capabilities.
The Job-Seeking Capability Enhancement Program is designed for job seekers and the unemployed who visit Employment Welfare Plus Centers to establish their career goals, understand necessary job competencies, and learn job-seeking skills. Program graduates can participate in training courses to strengthen job competencies according to their career goals or explore job opportunities through job placement services.
Based on operation time, programs are categorized as group counseling, short-term group counseling, or special employment lectures. Participants can choose programs operated by Employment Welfare Plus Centers according to their participation purpose and target group (youth, middle-aged, basic livelihood recipients, career-interrupted women, immigrant women, etc.). Some programs are utilized through related agencies (targeting North Korean defectors, soon-to-be-released inmates, discharged soldiers, national merit recipients, and their children).
This project aims not only to support employment services for job seekers and the unemployed but also to help citizens choose their vocational life direction, plan and implement their chosen careers, and continuously develop in their chosen field for self-realization. In particular, we conduct ongoing research and analysis to create various programs supporting citizens' lifelong career design. Based on these research results, we sequentially revise or newly develop job-seeking capability enhancement programs citizens need through discussions with the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
Vocational Psychological Testing and Test Utilization Content Research and Development
The Korea Employment Information Service develops and provides various vocational and psychological tests that offer objective data to help individuals understand their psychological characteristics and make suitable career choices and career development.
Twenty-two types of vocational psychological tests have been developed to measure diverse users' interests, personalities, aptitudes, values, and career preparation levels, including youth (elementary, middle, and high school students), young adults, and middle-aged adult job seekers. These tests are serviced through Employment24, mobile Employment24, and nationwide Employment Welfare Plus Centers, showing an annual usage of about 2 million tests.
As the demand for characteristic diagnosis for self-understanding in the lifelong career development process increases, we continuously confirm users' opinions on the tests. To meet these demands, we are developing reliable and valid tests while pursuing the development and advancement of services that help understand and interpret test results. In particular, the expert vocational psychological test interpretation counseling service provided online and offline responds to the needs of users who desire an individualized and detailed understanding of the tests. We are conducting projects to improve its quality.
Furthermore, to meet the increasing demand for digital content services, we are identifying and pursuing various detailed projects to develop and provide diverse digital-based content utilizing psychological test data.
- Vocational Psychological Testing Project Flow Chart
and Demands
- Continuous listening to user opinions on vocational psychological tests
- Responding to demands for flexible career development throughout life
- Rapidly changing technology levels
- Responding to demands for individualized self-understanding services
Testing Project Direction
- Implementing services from diverse user perspectives
- Strengthening data utilization content development
- Enhancing digital content services
- Reinforcing KEIS test differentiation strengths
- Developing and validating differentiated vocational psychological tests
- Efficiently operating and disseminating vocational psychological tests
- Providing vocational psychological test interpretation and counseling services
- Developing digital content utilizing vocational psychological test data
Cyber Career Education Center Content Development and Operation
The Cyber Career Education Center (work.go.kr/cyberedu) content development and operation project has been running since 2009 as a platform supporting customized employment services for youth, employment support personnel, and counselors for lifelong career development. With the increasing demand and importance of non-face-to-face services after COVID-19, the number of users has steadily grown, necessitating stable service operation and content expansion.
To address these demands and support voluntary employment paths and career planning for college students and youth about national tasks, we have developed online educational content applying various topics and implementation methods to improve career development competencies tailored to specific targets. Additionally, we have developed a personalized course recommendation service through a career development readiness diagnosis service to recommend appropriate courses based on individual career development competencies. Furthermore, as the importance of online and non-face-to-face learning has been highlighted, we have developed real-time video education services for career and employment support targeting college students and youth.
Moreover, to promote the Cyber Career Education Center site efficiently internally and externally, we operate our social media to guide the services provided by the Cyber Career Education Center, conduct surveys on the status and satisfaction of site operation and online education utilization, and carry out various events. We also produce and distribute promotional materials related to site guidance and content/services to nationwide Employment Welfare Plus Centers and University Job Centers.
Cyber Career Education Center
Content Development and
Operation
On-Tong Youth Operation
On-Tong Youth is a project that performs ①collection and provision of youth policy information from central government departments and local governments, and ②provision of online and offline professional counseling services to enable young people to actively engage in job-seeking activities such as employment and entrepreneurship in the process of exploring and entering the labor market.
Providing youth policies scattered throughout various places helps young people in their exploration activities. Expert counseling on employment and career paths and policy information and guidance improve young people's policy utilization and job-seeking motivation.
We strive to collect and provide various policy information in real time through computer system linkages and monitoring with policy-making institutions.
General guidance on collected youth policies can be received via phone (main number: 1811-9876), and in-depth counseling services on employment and career paths combined with policy utilization can be obtained through text or video counseling by making reservations on the On-Tong Youth website.
Especially for vulnerable youth with difficulty with voluntary online access, counselors with professional qualifications in career and vocational fields visit relevant institutions to provide on-site counseling on career, vocation, and policies. Counseling is conducted according to clients' characteristics and situations, including vocational psychological test interpretation and comprehensive career exploration. We have signed MOUs with relevant institutions such as regional self-reliance support agencies, social service training centers of the Military Workforce Administration, and Youth Foundation to provide 'visiting counseling' services.
The in-depth counseling project for vulnerable youth is a counseling service provided through the representative youth policy portal On-Tong Youth (youthcenter.go.kr)* for vulnerable youth who need social support, such as youth preparing for independence, unmarried mothers, and North Korean defectors.
- On-Tong Youth Counseling Operation Method and Hours
| Counseling Media | Operation Method | Operation Hours |
|---|---|---|
| KakaoTalk counseling | KakaoTalk Plus Friend 'On-Tong Youth' channel |
(General) Weekdays 8:00~20:00 Weekends and Holidays 8:00 ~ 18:00 |
| On-Tong Youth counseling room reservation | (In-depth) Weekdays 9:30 ~ 17:30 | |
| Video counseling | On-Tong Youth counseling room reservation | (In-depth) Weekdays 9:30 ~ 17:30 |
| Telephone counseling | Main number 1811-9876 | (General) Weekdays8:00~20:00 Weekends, and Holidays 8:00 ~ 18:00 |