KaKao

- Completion of the program by 111 students from Pusan National and Chonnam National Universities.

- Initiative addresses educational disparities and social issues, fostering developer talent in non-capital regions.

- Plans to expand to more schools and courses in 2024.

- Selected for the Ministry of Employment and Labor and Korea Industrial Human Resources Corporation’s 'Youth-Friendly ESG Support Project.'

 

[November 22, 2023] “From planning to distribution, I've personally managed all aspects of service development, gaining experience as a planner, designer, and front-end developer. Collaborating across various job roles, I believe my diversified understanding and experience will be my unique edge in communication as a front-end developer,” stated Seo Wan-Seok, a student from Chonnam National University.

 

A total of 111 regional university students have completed a year-long developer education program in collaboration with Kakao.

 

Kakao (CEO Hong Eun-Taek) announced the first graduation ceremony of the 'Kakao Tech Campus,' a collaborative educational project with regional universities, held separately at Pusan National University and Chonnam National University. The ceremonies, conducted on the 17th and 18th at each university, saw the participation of 111 students, along with Nam Ki-Woong, the Head of Kakao's Group HR Support Office, Professor Baek Yoon-Ju, Dean of Pusan National University’s Software Education Center, and Professor Choi Kwang-Hoon, Vice Dean of Chonnam National University Software Engineering Department, all of whom encouraged the students for their year-long efforts.

 

Dean Baek Yoon-Ju and Vice Dean Choi Kwang-Hoon lauded Kakao's personalized management and support, which was pivotal in the students' successful course completion, especially significant in regions outside the capital with limited access to development-related education.

 

At each university’s ceremony, outstanding teams from team projects and academically excellent students were awarded scholarships of one million Won each. All program graduates are expected to receive benefits related to employment at Kakao and opportunities to participate in exclusive communities.

 

The Kakao Tech Campus embodies Kakao's dedication to ESG principles, reflecting its pledge to foster a better world. This initiative, in partnership with regional universities, is designed to cultivate developer talent while tackling social challenges, such as bridging educational gaps in non-capital areas, thereby contributing to the healthy growth of the IT industry. By offering this program, Kakao provides regional university students, who often lack opportunities for developer training, with a platform for self-driven growth through team projects. This approach is aimed at nurturing junior developers ready for immediate industry integration.

 

The program also offers 1:1 career mentoring with industry professionals, providing crucial guidance for regional students who are often at a disadvantage in developer coaching opportunities. "The training has significantly enhanced my growth, not just in development knowledge but in learning communication and teamwork. The mentoring sessions, where I received code reviews and one-on-one guidance from industry mentors, were invaluable for my growth as a developer," said Han-Hong Lee, a student from Pusan National University.

 

Looking ahead to its second year, the Kakao Tech Campus aims to expand its reach and train more regional developers. The program will extend from two to five universities, adding an Android developer training course alongside existing front-end and back-end development tracks, thus offering three different courses to provide more opportunities for students. 

 

Nam Ki-Woong, Head of Kakao’s Group HR Support Office, commented, “The Kakao Tech Campus is an extension of our commitment to sharing Kakao’s values with society through IT education. Our goal is to continue nurturing more regional developers.”

 

In March, the Kakao Tech Campus was selected for the ‘Youth-Friendly ESG Support Project’ by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Industrial Human Resources Corporation. It was recognized for its effectiveness in enhancing employability and entrepreneurship skills without physical constraints in collaboration with regional universities. (End)