[K-Women Talk]Young On-Site Business Owners Becoming Part of Everyday Life

Starting Out on Platforms, Launching Businesses After 4-5 Years
Blue-Collar Work Transforming Into Professional Careers
Young People Changing the Paradigm of Field Jobs

Not long ago, I experienced the rise of the "young business owner contracted through a platform" while moving to a new place. The owner of the cleaning company, in his early thirties, arrived right on time, driving a cleaning truck equipped with various chemicals and tools. Before starting, he clearly explained the scope and limits of the cleaning, and afterwards, he checked every detail, giving the impression of receiving service from a large company with a manual in hand. In a brief moment during his closing remarks, he even smoothly encouraged me to write a good review. Though the service cost 600,000 won for four hours—which is no small amount—it was a satisfying experience worth every penny.

The air conditioner installation was similar. The technician arrived on time, offered clear explanations, installed quickly, and thoroughly checked the operation—the entire process flowed seamlessly. Because the store-appointed installer received basic fees from the online mall and profits from the extra charges unique to each home, he explained that he was able to secure a good income. He added, "People often install air conditioners in every room these days, so there's lots of work." He also chose this job because the replacement cycle is fairly quick and artificial intelligence (AI) or robots can't do it.

With this trend of young people working on-site becoming a regular part of daily life rather than just a news topic, what do the actual statistics show? According to data from a Federal Reserve Bank in the United States, in 2025, the monthly job search success rate for high school graduates was 41.5%, compared to 37.1% for college graduates—marking the first time in history that high school graduates surpassed college graduates. U.S. media have described people leaving college to pursue jobs in fields such as electrical work, plumbing, and welding as a "toolbelt generation," running frequent features on them.

The situation has changed dramatically in our country as well. This May, the job search platform Catch found that 68% of Generation Z respondents gave "positive" answers when asked about their preference for blue-collar jobs. Seoul's technical education centers have reported a significant increase in participation from those under 39 in technical training programs, which were previously mostly attended by middle-aged adults. In particular, in the field of welding, they announced that for the first time in the first half of this year, young students accounted for more than half—with 59.7% participation.

Unlike the past when on-site workers relied on interior companies or real estate agents to find work, nowadays more young business owners are starting through platforms like Soomgo, Miso, and Youngoo Clean, opening their own companies after 4–5 years. They manage reviews and ratings meticulously, and some even use YouTube or Instagram to release content about their construction sites and attract new customers. These young professionals are simultaneously skilled technicians, reputation managers, and business owners building their careers through diversified experience.

A representative case is Changhyun Lee, a physical education graduate who, after struggling to find employment, started with insect screen installation and became a cleaning company owner. He is also the host of a YouTube channel with 118,000 subscribers and has written a book called "So What If I Use My Body," expanding his role into public speaking and proving the growth potential of on-site work.

While all of this sounds great, if you're unsure how to get started, you can choose to join a training academy or jump straight into practice based on your personality. Those who prefer the academy route can train for 2–5 months at professional institutes and then begin work with a partner company. Practical learners can join the field immediately and learn on the job via job-matching platforms such as Naver Band, Gada, or Ildao. If you are sociable and good with your hands, the latter may be a better fit.

If academy training seems more comfortable, consider starting with technical education centers run by local governments. In addition to regular programs that last five to six months with seven hours of class per day, there are also popular short courses lasting two to five months offered year-round. You can learn air conditioner management, forklift operation, tiling, welding, wallpapering, and more. All courses are fully funded by the government, with employment rates exceeding 70%. There are also hundreds of private academies where you can access some government funding or use the National Learning Card. On the Goyong24 platform, you can read student reviews and check academy satisfaction and employment rates.

Written by Sookeun Lee, Publisher of Foundation for Employment

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