Korean carmaker to offer education program to 10,000 students in 15 nations


Hyundai Motor Co., Korea’s largest carmaker, will offer a series of vocational education program for young jobseekers in 15 European countries for the next two years under its social contribution activities, company officials said Friday.

The program, dubbed “Skills for the Future,” is designed to support employment of vocational school students aged between 15 and 18 years old in Europe, the company said.

Hyundai’s overseas education will start at 50 schools in five countries ― the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. ― this September.

“By 2014, a total of 10,000 students including young jobseekers at about 400 schools in 15 countries will be able to enjoy the program,” a company spokesman said.

Under its initiative toward corporate social responsibility, Hyundai Motor signed a partnership contract with the Junior Achievement-Young Enterprise, a large-scale European NGO for economic education, in Brussels on the day.

According to the company, the partnership will not only target students, it is also designed to connect teachers and parents with business leaders.

Through the Hyundai Motor “master class,” teachers and parents from participating schools ― along with Hyundai employees ― will brainstorm ways to improve the quality of skills education and bridge the gap between business and learning.

Hyundai Motor Europe senior vice president Allan Rushforth said the company is committed to innovation and at the heart of innovation are people.

“Skills for the Future is not just about tackling youth unemployment. It is also about nurturing a vibrant talent pool of people primed for the jobs of the future,” he said.

The company said the launch of the vocational education program comes at a time when youth unemployment in the continent at an all-time high.

The theme of this year’s European Business Summit ― Skills for Growth ― makes it an ideal platform for the launch of this new program, it said.

Hyundai is a main sponsor of the European Business Summit. It is a committed corporate citizen, leading car manufacturer and prominent employer in Europe.

In the Czech Republic alone, the company has created about 10,000 jobs ― either through Hyundai or its suppliers, and 95 percent of Czech nationals living in Moravia-Silesia region are now either directly or indirectly employed by the automaker.

Hyundai Motor has continued to expand and invest in Europe despite the economic slowdown. In 2011, it counted 5 million sales in Europe since imports began in 1977 and now boasts its best-ever European market share of 3.3 percent.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)