A Major Transformation for Vocational Education in South Jeolla... Mokpo and Haenam Technical High Schools Designated as Meister High Schools

Jeonnam Office of Education Achieves Success in 20th Meister High School Designation
Kickstarting Talent Development for AI and Energy New Industries
Total Investment of 35.1 Billion Won, Specializing in 'Intelligent Energy' and 'AI Infrastructure'

Vocational education at high schools in South Jeolla Province is being newly reorganized, with a focus on future high-tech industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) and renewable energy.

The Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education announced on the 16th that Mokpo Technical High School and Haenam Technical High School were finally selected as new Meister High Schools in the 20th Meister High School Designation Review promoted by the Ministry of Education. Notably, out of six new Meister High Schools designated nationwide in this review, two were selected from South Jeolla Province, marking a significant achievement for the region.

Mokpo Technical High School and Haenam Technical High School were finally selected as new Meister High Schools in the 20th Meister High School Designation Review promoted by the Ministry of Education.
[Provided by Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education]

The efforts of the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education to restructure vocational high schools in response to declining school-age population and changes in the industrial structure have borne fruit, with multiple schools being selected through the national competition. This has brightened prospects for fostering "Young Meisters" who will lead the region's strategic industries.

Both Mokpo Technical High School and Haenam Technical High School succeeded in being designated as Meister High Schools on their first attempt, an outcome credited to the long-term close collaboration between the schools and the Office of Education. With this, South Jeolla Province now has a total of six Meister High Schools, adding two new schools specializing in AI and energy to the existing four (Yeosu Petrochemical High School, Wando Fisheries High School, Jeonnam Life Science High School, and Korea Port Logistics High School). This is expected to further strengthen the foundation for nurturing talent in regional strategic industries, a core objective of the South Jeolla–Gwangju regional integration initiative.

Meister High Schools are operated with the goal of cultivating highly skilled technical talent tailored to industrial demand. The designated schools will comprehensively revise their curricula to specialize in their respective fields, and will establish site-oriented education systems, including all-student dormitory living and practical training led by teachers with both industry and academic experience.

Mokpo Technical High School Specializes in 'Intelligent Energy', Haenam Technical High School in 'AI Infrastructure'

Mokpo Technical High School, newly designated as a Meister High School, will focus on fostering talent for the intelligent energy industry by integrating South Jeolla's abundant renewable energy infrastructure with advanced AI technology. The curriculum will be fully revamped around offshore wind power, green hydrogen, energy storage systems (ESS), and AI data centers.

Through this, the school plans to nurture core professionals who can oversee the entire "intelligent energy value chain"—from production, storage, and conversion to transmission, distribution, and consumption of energy—in line with the province's key "AI and Energy Transformation" policy initiative.

Haenam Technical High School has set out to cultivate talent in the operation of AI data centers and core technologies underpinning next-generation digital industries. It will introduce specialized educational programs focused on promising future sectors such as AI-based air conditioning and refrigeration, AI energy, and AI semiconductors.

In particular, the school plans to proactively respond to the establishment of the "Haenam Solaseado National AI Computing Center" and the expansion of the AI data center industry in the region. It aims to develop site-ready experts who are fully equipped with skills in the installation, operation, and maintenance of AI infrastructure, including graphics processing units (GPUs), ultra-high-speed networks, advanced cooling systems, and power management.

A Total Investment of 35.1 Billion Won... Targeting Meister High School Launch in Academic Year 2028

Significant funding will be invested in the transition of both schools into Meister High Schools. Mokpo Technical High School will receive a total of 16.2 billion won (5 billion from the Ministry of Education, 10 billion from the Jeonnam Office of Education, and 1.2 billion from Mokpo City), while Haenam Technical High School will be allocated 18.9 billion won (5 billion from the Ministry of Education, 10 billion from the Jeonnam Office of Education, and 3.9 billion from Haenam County).

The schools will go through a preparation process for their transition and begin full Meister High School operations starting in the 2028 academic year. This new designation is considered a representative success case of the Jeonnam Office of Education's "vocational high school restructuring policy," which has been promoted in response to population decline and changes in the industrial structure.

The Office of Education has focused on enhancing the competitiveness of vocational education linked to regional strategic industries by reorganizing vocational high school departments, nurturing specialized high schools through agreements, and operating Jeonnam Glotech School. In particular, it has systematically supported the discovery of specialized fields by school, the establishment of cooperation systems with industry and local governments, investment planning, curriculum design, and analysis of Ministry of Education policy directions, working closely with the schools throughout the application process.

Looking ahead, the Office of Education will actively support curriculum development, teacher capacity building, the creation of advanced training environments, and the establishment of employment support systems so that Meister High Schools can serve as hubs for cultivating regional technical talent.

Jeon Seonga, Director of Career Education, stated, "The designation of Mokpo Technical High School and Haenam Technical High School as Meister High Schools is a meaningful achievement that marks a new leap forward for vocational education in South Jeolla Province. We will further strengthen future-oriented vocational education linked to regional strategic industries, helping students grow into competitive Young Meisters and settle stably in the region."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.