Title: Vocational skill development of self-employed workers to promote their participation in education and training in South Korea: a public policy perspective

Authors: Jung-Yeon Lim; Young-Min Lee; Sunny Sun-A Kim

Addresses: Education and Training Research Centre, Incheon Campus of Korea Polytechnic, 478, Munemi-ro, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, South Korea ' Graduate School of Human Resource Development, Sookmyung Women's University, 100, Cheongpa-ro 47-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 04310, South Korea ' Graduate School of Human Resource Development, Sookmyung Women's University, 100, Cheongpa-ro 47-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 04310, South Korea

Abstract: This study investigates the status of the participation of the self-employed in Korea in vocational training and identifies their demand for participation and deduces the implications for strengthening survival capacity and competitiveness. The author's surveyed 200 self-employed individuals participated in the vocational training. Results showed as follows: first, less than 1% of all self-employed individuals participated in vocational skills development. Second, many self-employed individuals lacked systematic start-up preparation such as start-up-related education. Third, a large number of self-employed individuals chose to start their businesses as an alternative to reemployment after retirement. Thus, start-ups have served as an alternative to jobs. Fourth, 20% of the self-employed who participated in vocational skills development faced changes in their situations such as reemployment and re-start-up. Based on the results of this study, methods to activate and strengthen the vocational skills development policy for the self-employed in Korea are recommended.

Keywords: self-employed; vocational skills development; social safety net; vocational education/training; employment insurance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPSPM.2020.107763

International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 2020 Vol.6 No.3, pp.287 - 309

Received: 28 Mar 2018
Accepted: 28 May 2018
Published online: 17 Jun 2020 *

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