"Thirsty" for human resources, Korea offers a series of scholarships to international students

(Dan Tri) - To attract foreign workers, experts say Korea is implementing a series of policies on scholarships, visa relaxation, etc. in the work-study training program.

On October 31, the Southern Center for Education and Training Development, Ministry of Education and Training , in collaboration with businesses, organized a workshop "Studying in Korea - Study and employment opportunities in the digital age".

At the workshop, Mr. Le Thang Loi, Director of the Southern Center for Education and Training Development, said that there are currently about 350,000 Vietnamese people living, studying and working in Korea.

Mr. Le Thang Loi, Director of the Southern Center for Education and Training Development (Ministry of Education and Training) (Photo: Nguyen Vy).

“The Korean economy is very developed but is lacking hundreds of thousands of high-quality workers in fields such as information technology, artificial intelligence, healthcare, nursing, smart manufacturing, high-tech agriculture, automation... Meanwhile, Vietnam is a country with an abundant, young, hard-working labor force with the will to overcome difficulties and is increasingly highly trained, has good working skills, and is ready to participate in the global labor market,” said Mr. Le Thang Loi.

He believes that Korea is not only a destination that meets the supply and demand of the labor market but also a place for young Vietnamese people to study, affirm their value on the international labor map and contribute to deepening the relationship between the two countries.

“Therefore, we hope that the sharing in today's workshop will contribute to solving the problem of supply and demand of human resources for both Vietnam and Korea,” said the Director of the Southern Center for Education and Training Development.

Mr. Kim Sang Hyeon, representative of the Korean educational organization Vision Academy, said reports have shown that by 2030, 2 out of 5 Koreans will be over 65 years old. It is expected that by 2035, the country will have a shortage of 12,000 nurses.

In that context, since 2025, the Korean Government has implemented a national policy on training and employment in the “internationalized nursing” industry, with the coordination of three ministries and branches. In particular, the Ministry of Justice of this country has allowed foreigners to convert D2-1 and D2-2 student visas to E7-2 work visas immediately after graduation and obtaining a nursing certificate.

"This is a big turning point in settlement and career opportunities for international students and workers," he emphasized.

Experts answer questions from students and workers at the workshop (Photo: Nguyen Vy).

The Korean Ministry of Education has also designated 24 colleges and universities to provide specialized nursing training for international students. In addition, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has issued policies on recruitment, welfare and employment support for foreign nurses.

Mr. Kim Dong Young, representative of the Korea University of Technology (TUK), said that the Korean Ministry of Education is also implementing a project to provide scholarships and work-study programs for Vietnamese students. This is one of the government's policies to solve the problem of labor shortage in this country.

“As one of the educational institutions authorized by the Ministry of Education, TUK is recruiting international students for the majors of system design (mechanical), data and content production, operating under the Government's "early employment" model. With a training period of 3.5 years, international students will both study and intern,” he shared.

International students can also receive a living allowance scholarship of 2 million won (equivalent to more than 36 million VND) from the Ministry of Education for the first year of major study; a tuition scholarship of 40-100%; and a performance scholarship of 30-70%. After graduation, international students will be connected with more than 5,000 businesses in Korea and Vietnam and have a salary of 65 million VND/month.

“For the international faculty, which includes majors such as Korean language, international business administration, and digital marketing, which lasts 4 years, international students will only study 2 days/week at school, and the remaining time they can work part-time,” he said.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/khat-nhan-luc-han-quoc-trien-khai-hang-loat-hoc-bong-den-du-hoc-sinh-20251031172424464.htm