Enhancing economic opportunities and employability in Busan

Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy, holds significant potential for growth through digital transformation. However, many vulnerable groups still lack the essential skills needed to participate in this progress. Skills2Work – Busan, a program offered by The Asia Foundation (TAF) with support from Microsoft, aims to bridge this gap by providing crucial job training, fostering social inclusion and spurring economic growth.

Skills2Work is a program designed to build critical skills and improve the employability of women, youth, individuals with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. The initiative supports them in starting, resuming, or transitioning their careers – broadening their access to economic opportunities. In Korea, over 1.35 million women who have experienced career interruptions face digital skill gaps due to limited experience and rapid technological changes. In Busan, the country’s second-largest city, job shortages have exacerbated these challenges, while youth employment ranks sixth nationwide, underscoring regional disparities.

As part of TAF’s Future Skills Alliance – a collaborative platform for public and private sector partners to deliver essential skills to underserved communities – this program offers hands-on training, workplace visits, job preparation training, and expert-led career talks. Over the course of 12 months, each of the 70 participants will engage in 55 hours of training and activities.

The Skills2Work – Busan curriculum will be developed in collaboration with the Korea Information Technology Research Institute (KITRI) and, where applicable, will incorporate TAF’s existing Skills2Work materials. The curriculum will feature workshops on digital ethics, technology trends in the workplace, business productivity tools, and soft skills. Course topics and levels will be tailored to student needs based on preliminary analyses.

Students will be recruited in collaboration with organizations such as the Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency (BIPA), Busan Gender Equality and Family, Lifelong Education Institute (BRLI), and Women’s Development Centers in Busan. Microsoft works closely with BIPA and BRLI to align initiatives with local needs and, ultimately, to enhance impact. Through Skills2Work, Microsoft aims to foster inclusive growth, support equitable opportunities, and empower the community to thrive.