Korea opens workforce training centre for shipbuilders in Indonesia

Korea has opened its first overseas shipbuilding workforce training centre in Serang, Indonesia, to help migrant workers be immediately deployed to production sites in Korea amid growing concerns over a labour shortage, reported Korean media.

The Korean Ministry of Trade facility will offer training on the Korean language and shipbuilding technical skills to cultivate a larger overseas labour force that can meet worker demand at Korea's domestic shipbuilding sites, the Ministry said.

In 2023, the government supplied about 16,000 production workers to the shipbuilding industry by improving visa systems and enhancing workforce training. However, the industry continues to call for the need to hire more quality foreign skilled workers.

The Korean shipbuilding industry has won ship orders of 39.12 million gt, which is equivalent to 100 ships requiring around three to four years of work.

The new training centre will initially focus on instructing about 30 to 40 individuals on welding technologies and the Korean language over the next three months. Trainees will also need to obtain welding certifications and meet a certain level on a language proficiency test. Both countries also run a safety education programme for the sustainable operation of the programme.

Related:Shipbuilding market outlook H2 2024

The Indonesian government will handle recruitment and conduct training, while the Korean authority will dispatch experts in both areas.