KT&G, South Korea’s No. 1 tobacco maker by market share, has been actively engaging in a state-led initiative to fight youth unemployment that marked 9.8 percent as of 2016, the highest since 1999.
The projects initiated by the company include renting out suits for job interviews and providing tailored consulting sessions, under the names “SangSang Closet,” “SangSang Career Camp” and “SangSang Compass Camp.”
The SangSang Closet program has been in operation since September last year offering a free-of-charge clothes rental service for job seekers who need suits for interviews.
Students try on clothes at the “SangSang Closet” set up at Kangwon National University. (KT&G)
This is done through the SangSang Fund that collects voluntary contributions from the company’s executives and employees. It has set up special closets and sitting rooms in 12 universities nationwide including Kyonggi University, Chungnam National University, Kangwon National University and Keimyung University. As of last month, a total of 3,433 students have benefited from the service with the monthly average number of users reaching 286.
SangSang Career Camp meanwhile provides a four-day workshop program offering one-on-one aptitude tests and mentoring, along with special lectures from professionals.
SangSang Compass Camp is geared toward university freshmen and sophomores to help them determine their career directions.
“We have been working toward implementing programs that can actually give practical help to the young job seekers in the tough job market, and we will continue to do so in hopes of helping to alleviate youth unemployment as much as we can,” a KT&G official said.
