Status of vocational competency development services for person

with disabilities in Korea

Prof. Cho, Heung Seek, Ph.D.National Secretary, RI Korea

Dept. of Social Welfare, Seoul National University(chohs@snu.ac.kr)

Introduction

The objective of this study is to let the world know the Korean vocational competency development services for PWD.

This study will firstly introduce current population trend of PWD in Korea and present Korean employment policy and system for PWD, secondly, status of vocational competency development services for PWD, and finally suggest future policy directions for PWD in Korea.

Number of Registered Persons with Disabilities

Proportion of PD

P with D

P w/o D

Disability Types No. of PD (%)Physical 1,353,753 49.64

Brain Lesion 308,100 11.29Auditory 281,984 10.35Visual 278,173 10.19

Intellectual 207,704 7.62Mental 117,428 4.31Kidney 72,132 2.65

Linguistic 21,700 0.80Autism 19,868 0.73

Ostomy 16,814 0.62Respiratory 16,054 0.59

Liver 11,841 0.43Epilepsy 9,842 0.36

Heart 8,498 0.31Face 3,018 0.11Total 2,726,910 100

Total population of KR : 50,420,000 (2014)

Total population of PD : 2,726,910(2014)

5.4%(5.2%, 2011)

94.6%

(2011)

History of Policy Development for PWD▪1963: The Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act▪1977: The enactment of the Act on the Special Education Promotion Act ▪1981: The enactment of the Welfare of Physically or Mentally Disabled

Persons Act (Later revised as the Welfare of Disabled Persons Act) ▪1990: The Employment Promotion and Vocational Rehabilitation Act for the Disabled▪1998: The Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Employment and

Labor, and Ministry of Education, Science and Technology jointly formulated the First Five-year Plan for the Promotion of the Welfare of Disabled People (1998-2002). Now The Fourth Five-year Development Plan for Persons with Disabilities(2013-2018)

▪1999: The Policy Coordination Committee for Disabled Persons▪2007: The Anti-Discrimination against and Remedies for Persons with

Disabilities Act ----- Korea ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (Took effect January 2009)

▪2008: The Special Act on the Preferential Purchase of Products Manufactured by Persons with Severe Disabilities

Social Services for PWD

N=1,231,022(Source: KOWEPS, 2011)

Korean employment policy for PWD

▪ Mandatory employment of disabled workers system - Public sector (3.4% or more of civil servants), workplaces with 50 workers

or more (3.1% or more of workers)

▪ Public Workplace venture for persons with disabilities - Providing financial support aimed at creating job opportunities and

promoting employment for persons with severe disabilities who find it difficult to enter the labor market

▪ Vocational rehabilitation services for persons with severe disabilities

- In order to initiate self-sufficiency for persons with severe disabilities and expanding their opportunities for participation in society, institutions including community rehabilitation centers, vocational rehabilitation facilities, and disability organizations provide services such as vocational guidance, occupational adaptation training, employment support, job referral service, and adaptation guidance

Vocational competency development services for PWD in Korea

All the vocational training programs for PWD in Korea are supported by ‘Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled’ (KEAD) which is a semi-governmental organization under the Ministry of Employment and Labor. It was established in September 1, 1990.

KEAD has 18 branches and 5 vocational training centers for people with disabilities, and 1 R&D institute. As of now, about 640 staff members are working for KEAD.

To meet rapidly changing needs of the employer, vocational training centers of KEAD have gone through several changes and reformed its programs. As a result of the reform, customized training and specialized training course for people with specific types of disabilities have been implemented.

System of Customized training

The operation of Specialized training

< Specialized training for specific type of Disability in 5 vocational training centers of KEAD>

Current Issues & Future Directions

1. Promoting private-public cooperation in employment service delivery system : improving employability by providing professional technical courses and strengthening customized training courses with enterprises.

2. Activating specialized training courses for people with pecific disabilities who need additional accommodations for their training and employment.

3. Activating cyber on-line education and rehabilitation programs for PWD.

4.Enhancement of status of the Korean technicians in the world : providing winners of the World Skills Competition for the Disabled five times with incentives to encourage them in perfecting their skills