South Korea is stepping up efforts to secure a stable supply of shipyard workers by setting up a shipbuilding training centre in Indonesia.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy disclosed to local news agencies that it has launched a training centre in Serang, which is 78 kilometres west of Jakarta, to provide training programmes for Indonesians seeking shipyard jobs in South Korea.
The Serang centre will be able to train 30 to 40 workers for a three-month period, offering welding training, work safety courses and Korean language skills.
The ministry said it has undertaken this project after discussions that began in March with the Korea Offshore & Shipbuilding Association and the Indonesian labour ministry.
“We have launched a system designed to foster competitive workers by offering Korean language and technical education programmes, which will prepare them for deployment to Korean shipyards,” the ministry said.
The bureau added that it plans to consult with other countries to simplify work visa issuance and to integrate the programme and training courses.
Shipyards in South Korea have been facing a serious shortfall of workers since the post-Covid-19 resumption of newbuilding contracting in the middle of 2021.
While shipbuilders are sitting on packed orderbooks that stretch into early 2028, they face serious shortages of skilled workers.
South Korea began hiring foreign yard workers in 2022 and about 16% of its 93,000 shipyard employees are not from the country.
