Seoul City will train a substitute workforce to temporarily fill positions left vacant by women on maternity leave to help working mothers return to work after childbirth, officials said Thursday.

The new move came as concerns grew over working moms who quit their jobs to raise their children rather than taking maternity leave. Many have complained that their employers do not encourage maternity leave because of concerns over work vacancies.

This year the city will open six centers for women to train 800 workers who will temporarily fill positions in public and private firms.

Customized training would be available upon pre-reservation by companies, officials said. The city will expand the number of temporary substitute workers gradually, they added.

The measure is part of the city’s policies to help working moms keep their jobs.

For women job-seekers, the city will offer “touring internships” that allow applicants to try out two or three jobs for six months as interns. The city will provide 80 percent of the intern wages. Its pilot project will launch in July for 80 women under the age of 27, officials said. The city will provide incentives of 5 million won ($4,700) if employers hire interns for more than a year.

For immigrant wives, Seoul City is planning to offer 120 jobs including positions as translators and community correspondents.

A total of 22 resource development centers for women in the city will develop their own specialized career programs to offer better training for job-seekers. 

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)