Korean society has seen the necessity of establishing a system that enables high school graduates to find decent jobs and continue building their career without having to go to college. Such a system would solve the social problems of excessive pursuit of college education, serious waste of human resources and high unemployment. Against this backdrop, the Meister high school system was introduced with the aim of ushering in a golden era of high school graduates landing good jobs. In 2010, 21 Meister high schools opened their doors to students. The Meister high school takes its name from the Ge
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Korean society has seen the necessity of establishing a system that enables high school graduates to find decent jobs and continue building their career without having to go to college. Such a system would solve the social problems of excessive pursuit of college education, serious waste of human resources and high unemployment. Against this backdrop, the Meister high school system was introduced with the aim of ushering in a golden era of high school graduates landing good jobs. In 2010, 21 Meister high schools opened their doors to students. The Meister high school takes its name from the German word 'Meister', which refers to the highest level of professional skills and craft qualifications. The schools live up to their names by nurturing the 'Meisters (masters)' that the industry looks for. These high schools teach students practical knowledge so they can perform in the industrial field as professionals immediately upon graduation. As of 2020, ten years since the introduction of the system, there are 52 designated Meister high schools in Korea, and 51 of them are in operation.
From 2013, when Meister high schools produced the first group of graduates, they boasted employment rates hovering around 90 per cent for five consecutive years. Meister high schools stand out as an exemplary model of vocational education at the secondary school level that is backed by the Work-Study Dual Program and the Work First-Study Later scheme. Chapters 1 and 2 provide an overview and the current status of Meister high schools in Korea, respectively. Chapter 3 provides details about Meister high schools, chapter 4 introduces national policy support for Meister high schools, and chapter 5 presents Meister high schools' achievements. Chapter 6 summarizes the previous chapters and suggests improvement measures for the future.
Edited excerpts from publication.
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