Unveiling Legacy and Expertise: KGCCI Connects Job Seekers and German Corporates

(Seoul, August 23, 2023) The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Martin Henkelmann) successfully held a recruitment panel discussion and information session with member companies as part of Global Talent Fair on August 22, 2023, at COEX in Seoul.

Over 200 participants, the event was conducted both online and offline, aiming to provide diverse employment information to job seekers aspiring to work for German companies and offer hiring opportunities to German businesses.

During the first part of the event, KGCCI introduced the ‘Ausbildung’ program, a German-style dual vocational education program that combines practical training at workplaces with theoretical education at schools. Since its introduction to Korea in collaboration with German automotive companies in 2017, KGCCI has been implementing ‘Ausbildung’ programs in fields such as automotive repair, painting, sheet metal work, and service advising.

In the panel discussion, representatives from Continental Automotive, Wilo and Zeiss presented details about their recruitment procedures, job positions, desired qualities in candidates, and organizational culture compared to other foreign companies. They responded to various audience inquiries, advising a focus on experience and consistency beyond mere qualification. Moreover, participating companies and KGCCI set up separate booths at the fair venue to conduct recruitment interviews and provide job consultation, offering practical employment information and tips, which garnered significant interest from attendees.

This event was part of Global Talent Fair, held from August 21 to 22, organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Employment and Labor and hosted by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). KGCCI and more than 20 German companies such as Siemens, Henkel, DHL, Zeiss, Continental Automotive, Wilo, and Daimler Truck Korea participated in the fair, bringing together over 40 HR representatives, and engaging with 2,000 job seekers.

Soo-Jeong Kang, HR Services Manager of KGCCI and organizer of the panel session, said “This event showcased German companies with over 150 years of history and cutting-edge expertise, often not well-known to the general public. Going forward, KGCCI will continue its efforts to bridging the gap between German companies seeking talents and job seekers.”

Currently, there are over 500 German companies operating in South Korea providing thousands of jobs in the country. With Germany being South Korea's largest trading partner in the European Union (EU) and South Korea ranking as Germany's third largest trading partner in Asia, the bilateral trade volume has reached approximately $34 billion in 2022, representing 25% of the total Korea-EU trade volume, according to Korea International Trade Association.