Volkswagen Group Korea continues to make efforts to contribute to the growth of automotive-specific software talent with a series of educational and job-creating initiatives for the local economy, responding to the need for highly trained software professionals in the increasingly digitized automotive industry.

One pillar of the initiatives is a partnership with German nonprofit coding school 42 Wolfsburg and Kookmin University in Seoul. The collaboration centers around the "SEA:ME" -- Software Engineering in Automotive and Mobility Ecosystems -- curriculum, a specialized master's program in Germany to equip students with the knowledge and creativity needed to drive the digitalization of the automobile industry through programming. Ultimately, the goal is to prepare them for employment in the mobility sector within 12 months.

The curriculum consists of three six-month submodules in embedded systems, autonomous systems and mobility ecosystems. The program is structured as an open educational resource, embracing peer learning and featuring instruction from experts in both science and industry.

Following the success of a pilot program in Germany, in which four students returned to Korea with job placements, Volkswagen Group Korea has sent 10 more students to participate in the SEA:ME program for 12 months. Over the next three years, the group plans to invite a total of 30 university students to the 42 Wolfsburg campus.

Additionally, the group is expanding SEA:ME to seven other Korean universities participating in COSS university consortium. The broader initiative, called SEA:ME@Korea, is set to be launched next year, including Ajou University and Chungbuk National University.

The launch of the initiative was marked by the SEA:ME 2023 Summer Hackathon at Kookmin University from July 11-14. Sponsored by Volkswagen Group Korea and hosted by the Future Automotive/Intelligent Robot Innovation Convergence University Project Group, the event saw 21 students from Kookmin University and Hanyang University competing to develop in-vehicle infotainment systems.

The winning team, Coding Bomb, was lauded for automated location information for smooth driving and in-vehicle food ordering for drive-thru services.

"We believe that our corporate social responsibility activities to foster automotive software professionals serve as an enabler for change. Together with our partner 42 Wolfsburg and COSS university consortium, we have made strides towards advancing code-driven mobility solutions by offering opportunities to Korean students through the SEA:ME@ Germany program," said Till Scheer, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group Korea.

"I am pleased to see the first steps being taken to replicate the program in Korea through this Hackathon and I look forward to seeing the traditional education blend with the new approaches such as peer learning and gamification through an official rollout in Korea next year."