Non-Civil Servant Disability Jobs Expanded by 40%
Mandatory Employment Rate Achieved
Focus Shifts to Strengthening Stable Work Environments
The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Seokjun Kim) is achieving tangible results with its policy to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities. In addition to dramatically increasing the number of non-civil servant positions for disabled employees—thus achieving the legally mandated employment rate—the office is also focusing on improving work environments and providing support for job adaptation, shifting the emphasis of its employment policy to “post-hiring” preparation.
Through the “Disability Independence and Happy Jobs Project,” the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education hired an additional 60 people with disabilities for non-civil servant positions during the first half of this year.
To facilitate this, the number of job placements designated for people with disabilities was expanded by about 40%, from the previous 173 to 244 positions. In addition to the hiring conducted in the first half, the office has also created conditions to hire an additional 11 people, thereby further strengthening the foundation for disability employment.
The hiring process was also shifted away from simply filling vacancies. In February, the office conducted a “survey of suitable jobs for people with disabilities” across schools and educational institutions, first identifying tasks that could realistically be performed in the field and then allocating staff accordingly.
As a result, 31 schools and institutions identified suitable positions and hired 41 people. A subsequent additional survey led 13 more institutions to identify new jobs, resulting in the hiring of another 19 people. In total, 60 individuals secured new positions just in the first half of the year.
These employees now work as “Companion Administrative Assistants,” performing a variety of duties at schools and institutions, such as administrative support, facility management assistance, and special education support. The institutions offering such positions have also expanded—from a focus on special schools and libraries to inclusion of general public schools and agencies under the Office of Education—significantly broadening the range of job options available to people with disabilities.
This expansion in hiring is substantiated by the data. As of the end of June this year, the mandatory employment rate for people with disabilities at the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education rose from 3.3% to 3.8%, thereby meeting the legal requirement. As a result, the office, which last year paid about 800 million won in employment levies for falling short of the mandated rate, is now expected to incur no such levies during the second half of this year.
However, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education does not view these results as a mere improvement of the employment rate. The office believes that supporting employees’ adaptation to the workplace and increasing their job satisfaction after hiring are critical for ensuring sustainability in employment for people with disabilities.
In fact, on July 4, the office held a communication meeting with participants in the Disability Independence and Happy Jobs Project to directly gather feedback on job placement, adaptation, and the work environment. Based on this input, the office plans to continuously improve job linkage suited to the characteristics of each disability, support for field adaptation, and the overall work environment.
Within the education community, this project is viewed as more than just fulfilling a legal obligation; it is seen as an opportunity to foster a culture where people with and without disabilities work together in educational settings. If a structure is established that connects stable jobs for people with disabilities with human resource needs in schools, the overall inclusivity of the educational field can be significantly enhanced.
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Superintendent Seokjun Kim stated, “Employment for people with disabilities does not end with hiring; what is most important is building a stable environment in which they can work. We will continue to develop suitable job opportunities and incorporate feedback from the field to further expand disability hiring and promote independence.”
The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education is holding a communication meeting to support the independence of people with disabilities.
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