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| Trainees and trainers of Samsung Electronics' Software Academy for Youth (SSAFY) pose for a photo during the entrance ceremony of this year's academy at SSAFY's campus in Seoul, Jan. 19. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics |
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| Logo for Samsung Electronics / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics |
Samsung Electronics launched this year's Samsung Software Academy for Youth (SSAFY) as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to nurture IT developers throughout the nation, according to the company, Sunday.
A total of 1,150 trainees were recruited to the 9th SSAFY program to learn about developing computer software, Samsung said. For the next year, trainees will be trained at the academy's five centers nationwide, in Seoul, Daejeon, Gwangju, Gumi and Busan.
Samsung said the entrance ceremony was held at the academy's Seoul campus on Jan. 19, featuring around 100 trainees, as well as government and company officials.
Jeong Soo-jeong, one of the trainees, said "I am happy to meet future developers who are running toward the same goal. I think we will be a great help to each other."
Kim Min-jee, another trainee, said "I will work hard with an unbreakable heart."
The SSAFY is just one of Samsung's economic revitalization and job creation measures announced in 2018.
The program was jointly designed with the Ministry of Employment and Labor as Samsung and the ministry have closely cooperated in recruiting trainees, operating education programs and helping trainees get jobs.
The academy offers a computer software developer training course, which includes eight hours of intensive training every day for a year so that they can work for IT companies right after graduating from the program. All trainees also receive 1 million won ($813) of education support every month.
The academy also operates a job matching center. Samsung said the graduates have joined about 840 prominent domestic companies, including not only Samsung Electronics, but also Kakao, Naver, LG Uplus, Lotte Data Communication, Shinsegae I&C, Hyundai Mobis, KB Kookmin Bank and NH NongHyub Bank.
"More than 140 companies, including Shinhan Bank, Woori Bank, Hyundai AutoEver and InBody are giving preferential advantages to the SSAFY graduates during their recruitment process," Samsung said.
Samsung has greatly contributed to the development of the country's computer software industry for decades. In 1991, the company launched SW Membership program, which hires university graduates with computer software skills. The company also has operated SCSA program to nurture university students who majored in the humanities or social sciences as software developers since 2013.
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