'Fostering Yeosu's Youth for the Future'... LG Chem and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Run 'K-New Deal Academy'

[Financial News, Yeosu = Reporter Hwang Tae-jong] LG Chem is drawing attention by working with KCCI to cultivate Yeosu's youth as talent capable of leading the region's future industries.
 LG Chem's Yeosu Plant said on the 1st that it is operating the 'Let's Grow with LG Chem' program with KCCI to improve young people's employment competitiveness in Yeosu and cultivate talent to lead the region's future industries.
 The program is part of the government's 'K-New Deal Academy (KNDA)' initiative. It aims to develop local talent by having companies provide industry- and job-specific training and mentoring from current employees, thereby helping young people enter society.
 KCCI was selected last June as an institution supporting the operation of KNDA. In Yeosu, it is conducting field-centered training with LG Chem that reflects the characteristics of the local industry.
 LG Group launched 'Let's Grow with LG' this year as a hands-on talent-development program for 1,000 young people. LG Chem is running 12-week programs totaling 400 hours for a combined 200 trainees in Osan and Yeosu.
 In particular, up to 100 young people are participating in the Yeosu course across its first and second sessions. Beginning with an introduction to the petrochemical industry, they receive practical training in key functions, including production, quality, utilities and maintenance, environmental safety, logistics, and procurement.
 They also develop digital capabilities required in future industrial workplaces, including the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI), data-driven problem-solving, and case studies on AX (AI transformation).
 The Yeosu course is operated entirely by in-house instructors. Current LG Chem employees from production, quality, environmental safety, facilities, instrumentation and electrical systems, logistics, and procurement directly serve as instructors, sharing their experience and expertise from the industrial field.
 An LG Chem representative emphasized, "This KNDA program develops the practical skills and AI capabilities demanded at industrial sites while helping young people build confidence and prepare for new challenges. It is also highly meaningful because employees from the Yeosu Plant are directly participating as instructors, supporting young people's growth and sharing their on-site experience."
 LG Chem is also offering tours of its Yeosu Plant, job-related projects, and special lectures by working experts to help trainees understand actual industrial sites and define their aptitude and career paths.
 The company has also earned positive reviews by providing communication, leadership, and presentation training, along with self-understanding and coaching programs, to help participants prepare for new challenges.
 An LG Chem representative stated, "We will continue to pursue various activities that support the growth and skills development of young people in partnership with the local community and contribute to the development of local industries."
 The Yeosu Chamber of Commerce and Industry is also supporting the effort so that the young participants can turn the experience they gain through the program into actual local employment. The Yeosu Chamber attended the academy's opening ceremony held at LG Chem's Hwachi Training Center and encouraged the trainees as they began a new chapter. It is also reviewing employment-linkage measures to connect outstanding local companies with young talent after the trainees complete the program, as well as ways to link the program with various youth-support initiatives.
 The parties agree that, amid the restructuring and industrial transition under way in the petrochemical industry, it is important to establish a virtuous cycle in which Yeosu cultivates young talent capable of leading new industries and helps them settle in the region, while also preparing for those new industries to strengthen the region's industrial competitiveness.
 Han Mun-seon, chairman of the Yeosu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "For Yeosu, which is preparing for industrial transition, young talent capable of leading that change is as important as new industries and technologies. I hope the experience gained through this training leads to good jobs, allowing young people to learn in Yeosu, work in Yeosu, and pursue their dreams to the fullest."
 He added, "We will support employment linkages so that graduates can connect with good local companies and continue creating opportunities for local businesses and young people to grow together."

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