"73.4% Pass Rate"... Gwangju Vocational High Schools Produce 113 Process Assessment-Based Industrial Engineers

Success Stories from Four Schools
including Gwangju Automation Equipment Meister High School and Gwangju Technical High School

Equipment Maintenance Course Achieves 100% Pass Rate

“Education-driven Local Talent and Job Ecosystem”
Initiative for Nurturing Semiconductor Talent

Students from vocational high schools in Jeonnam Gwangju have demonstrated their competitiveness as tailored technical talents set to lead local industries by achieving mass success in practical, hands-on national technical qualification exams.

The Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City Office of Education announced on the 6th that students from four local vocational high schools—Gwangju Automation Equipment Meister High School, Gwangju Technical High School, Gwangju Electronic Technical High School, and Dongil Future Science High School—sat for seven types of process assessment-based industrial engineer exams, with 113 out of 154 candidates passing. This represents an average pass rate of 73.4%.

Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City Office of Education

This achievement is particularly significant as it directly links the theoretical and practical skills that vocational high school students have acquired through their school curriculum to the acquisition of industrial engineer qualifications demanded by industry. By school, Gwangju Automation Equipment Meister High School recorded a high pass rate of 82.5%, with 33 out of 40 students passing the process assessment-based Electrical Construction Industrial Engineer exam, which was introduced for the first time this year.

The Electrical Construction Industrial Engineer qualification, newly implemented this year, assesses professional knowledge and practical skills required for electrical facility construction, maintenance, and management. In addition, this school achieved a pass rate of 88.6% in three categories—including Electronics Industry Engineer and Automation Equipment Industrial Engineer—where 62 out of 70 students passed. Gwangju Technical High School, a Meister high school modeled on regional specialties, also stood out. For the first time among vocational high schools in the Jeonnam Gwangju region, all 15 students from the Power Plant Facilities Department who took the Equipment Maintenance Industrial Engineer process assessment-based exam passed, resulting in a 100% pass rate.

The AI Semiconductor Department also achieved notable results, with 15 out of 17 students passing the Electronics Industry Engineer certification, and overall, 30 out of 32 students passing across two categories—a pass rate of 93.8%. These results stem from department realignments that reflect local industrial demand and the implementation of practical, hands-on curricula. Moreover, Gwangju Electronic Technical High School produced 16 successful candidates in the Water Environment Industrial Engineer category, while Dongil Future Science High School saw 5 students pass the Automation Equipment Industrial Engineer category.

The Office of Education plans to leverage these achievements by actively participating in the Ministry of Education's 2027 'Qualification-Specialized Vocational High School' initiative. There are plans to expand process assessment-based courses linked to higher-level national technical qualifications, improve practice environments, enhance teacher expertise, and promote stronger corporate partnerships to increase vocational students’ employment competitiveness.

Additionally, in response to the 800 trillion won semiconductor mega-cluster investment plan, the office will pursue a restructuring of semiconductor-related departments and expand the Jeonnam Gwangju-style glocal Meister high schools. The goal is to systematically nurture technical talents needed by local industries, establishing an “education-driven local talent and job ecosystem” (Jisanjiso) where students find employment and become rooted in their local communities.

Ji-Young Hyung, Head of Career and College Counseling, stated, "The dedication of teachers who worked hard to cultivate the passion and professional capabilities of students venturing into new fields has borne fruit," adding, "We will further bolster vocational education so that skills certification leads to quality jobs and students settle in their communities as recognized technical talents."

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