• - Eight free and customized job and start-up training programs for female marriage immigrants are available in organizations including the Women Resources Development Center.
• - These programs focus on professions such as international medical tour coordinators or tourism interpretation guides.
• – Female marriage immigrants can visit and apply after checking the recruiting periods for each program for participation.

Last year, Beoria Altantoya from Mongolia participated in the ‘International medical tour coordinator’ program at the Western Seoul Women’s Development Center. Now she is happily working as a full-time Mongolian coordinator at a spine-specialized hospital.

While the Seoul Metropolitan Government helped a total of 52 women find jobs via free job and start-up training programs that focused on the strengths and skills of female marriage immigrants last year, it announced on Monday, March 14th that eight training programs will be designated to support their job and start-up training this year.

The ‘Female marriage immigrant employment and start-up support project’ was introduced to guarantee the stable living of multi-cultural families in Seoul and to strengthen the economic independence of female marriage immigrants.

Since 2010, job and start-up training programs have operated, and last year, nine programs including female marriage immigrant office specialists, skin and beauty care specialists, and flower and candle fragrance workshops enabled 135 female marriage immigrants to complete the courses. Among them, 52 landed jobs.

The eight programs are comprised of the following: ▴Maternity care specialist program (Northern Seoul Women’s Development Center, 15 people) ▴Multiple language consultant program (Southern Seoul Women’s Development Center, 15 people) ▴International medical tour coordinator program (Western Seoul Women’s Development Center, 22 people · Dongjak Women Resources Development Center, 20 people) ▴Tourism interpretation guide program (Gangnamgu Women’s Development Center, 25 people · Yeongdeungpogu Multicultural Family Support Center, 60 people) ▴Sewing assistant program (Jungnang Women Resources Development Center, 15 people) ▴B to C open market start-up & global seller program (Gangseo Women Resources Development Center, 15 people).

Among the programs, ‘international medical tour coordinators’ play a significant role in attracting foreign patients to the Korean medical industry. Given that the number of professional coordinators is still small, female marriage immigrants who are able to use two languages are likely to find quality jobs by utilizing their linguistic strengths. In particular, in the area of ‘tourism interpretation guides’, the SMG is supporting 85 students, up from 55 last year, since it is deemed a promising area for employment.

The ‘tourism interpretation guide programs’ train female marriage immigrants to take advantage of their strengths to become tour interpretation guides. Eligible recruits are female marriage immigrants from China and Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia). The programs will start in April and end in November. Those who want to participate need to visit the relevant organization with apply within the given period.For more detailed information, visit Seoul City’s Multicultural Family Hanultari website (www.mcfamily.or.kr).

“Female marriage immigrants who want to find jobs are recommended to actively participate in the programs supported by the SMG so that they can land desired jobs. The government will continue to identify and support professions that can take advantage of the strengths of female marriage immigrants in order to help improve the harsh employment environment of the female immigrants.” Eun Young Lee, foreigner and multicultural official in the SMG, said.