AI Takes Over Entry-Level Tasks: "Who Will Train Skilled Engineers 10 Years from Now?"

National Academy of Engineering of Korea to Hold Engineering Education Innovation Forum on Nov. 16... Examines Disruptions in Talent Development Pathways

Discusses Education Reform Linking Schools, Universities and Companies... Seeks Ways to Build Expertise in the AI Era

As artificial intelligence (AI) takes over work previously done by entry-level engineers, how to train the skilled professionals of the future has emerged as a new challenge. There are concerns that while AI boosts productivity, it may also reduce opportunities for new employees to build expertise through trial and error. Some say the engineering talent development system spanning elementary, middle and high schools, universities, and workplaces needs to be redesigned.

The National Academy of Engineering of Korea announced on November 13 that it will hold the 2026 Engineering Education Innovation Forum on November 16 at the EL Tower in Seocho-gu, Seoul, under the theme “Connecting the Engineering Talent Pipeline from Schools to Workplaces in the Era of AI Transformation.”

Event invitation (excerpt). Provided by the National Academy of Engineering of Korea.

The Academy’s Talent Development Committee operated two subcommittees this year to analyze problems in the engineering talent development system. The researchers focused not on the talent shortage itself, but on a system in which education and workplace experience are not connected at each stage.

They found that the science and engineering fundamentals developed in elementary, middle and high school do not sufficiently lead students to choose university majors in those fields, and that a gap also exists between university education and the practical skills companies require. In particular, they said that as AI takes over entry-level tasks after new engineers join the workforce, the traditional career path through which they gained expertise from practical experience is also changing.

Kim Woo-seung, president of the Accreditation Board for Engineering Education of Korea and former president of Hanyang University, will deliver the keynote address, titled “Survival, Not Choice: Innovation in Industry-Academia-Research Collaboration in the AI Era.” He is expected to emphasize that the starting point for sustainable educational innovation is to align the content and teaching methods of regular courses with industry needs, rather than relying on special programs involving only a limited number of students.

Lee Seongju, a professor at Seoul National University, will then present “A Strategy for Developing Engineering Talent Throughout the Entire Lifecycle,” followed by Park Jaemin, a professor at Konkuk University, who will present “The Changing Paradigm of Engineering Talent Competencies and a Strategy for Developing Talent with a Focus on the Workplace.”

Professor Park is expected to analyze talent development practices at domestic companies, including Samsung Electronics and SK’s in-house learning platform mySUNI, and propose ways to connect course-based learning with real-world work assignments.

A panel discussion chaired by Lee Jun-young, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University and chair of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea’s Talent Development Committee, will cover links between university education and workplace training, incorporating problem-definition skills and integrative thinking into curricula, and ways for entry-level engineers to develop expertise in the AI era.

Yoon Eui-joon, president of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea, said, “In the AI era, it is important for people to develop the ability to identify new problems on their own and turn solutions into tangible results in the workplace.” He added, “Ensuring that education and experience are connected, rather than disconnected, is a shared challenge that cannot be accomplished through the efforts of any one school or institution alone.”

About 100 people, including government officials and representatives from universities and companies, are expected to attend the forum. The discussions will be compiled into a research report by the Talent Development Committee, with publication planned by the end of the year.

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