By Leilanie Adriano | Philippine News Agency
LAOAG CITY—A Korean school is partnering with the Ilocos Norte provincial government to teach Ilocanos how to speak the Korean language.
Anne Marie Lizette Atuan, manager of the Public Employment Service Office under the provincial government, announced Thursday that enrollment is ongoing for the short-term training course, which would last for about 13 days.
For interested applicants who want to work in South Korea, the KRT International Training Center Inc. is reaching out to residents in the province to provide Korean language training to them without going out of their comfort zone.
“This is a good opportunity to all interested individuals who wish to learn Korean language,” Atuan said. In May, the KRT Training Center initially conducted a career orientation at the Capitol attended by at least 75 participants.
Last year, the government of South Korea decided to accept 56,000 foreign workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) starting 2019 to relieve a labor shortage in the country.
Under the plan, South Korea will accept 43,000 newcomers and 13,000 returnees — 2,000 fewer newcomers than in 2018 and 2,000 more returnees.
Under the EPS, a foreign worker can work in Korea for up to four years and 10 months on an E-9 visa, but cannot leave and re-enter the country on the same visa during that time.
After four years and 10 months, E-9 holders who meet certain conditions are eligible to leave and re-enter the country to return to their previous employers.
The Ilocos Norte government would like to help in sending out some of these factory workers by partnering with a Korean school.
Since 2004, Korea has accepted low-skilled migrant workers from 16 countries via the EPS, in response to labor shortages in the country’s farms, fisheries, and small and medium-sized companies.
