The Ethiopia LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School held its 10th graduation ceremony on the 22nd local time. [Provided by LG Electronics] 사진 확대 The Ethiopia LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School held its 10th graduation ceremony on the 22nd local time. [Provided by LG Electronics]

LG Electronics’ free vocational training support program, which helps young people become self-reliant in Ethiopia, the only African country to send ground troops to the Korean War, has been bearing fruit for 10 years.

According to LG Electronics on the 24th, the 10th graduation ceremony was held on the 22nd local time at the LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event was attended by officials including South Korean Ambassador to Ethiopia Jung Kang, Ethiopian Vice Minister of Labor and Skills Teshale Berecha, and Yoon Dae-sik, executive vice president in charge of external affairs at LG Electronics, who congratulated the graduates.

The LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School is a technical education institution established through cooperation among LG, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and the Ethiopian government, and is operated by LG Electronics and the international development NGO World Together. It opened in 2014 to express gratitude to Ethiopia for its participation in the Korean War. Each year, it selects students through written tests and interviews and provides free vocational training in electrical and electronics, as well as IT. It also supports lunch and shuttle buses to help students study in stable conditions.

With 68 graduates this year, the school has now produced a cumulative total of 679 graduates. The employment and startup rate among LG-KOICA graduates stands at 100 percent. All graduates have either found jobs at IT companies or launched businesses using the skills they learned.

Students at the Ethiopia LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School receive training on televisions. [Provided by LG Electronics] 사진 확대 Students at the Ethiopia LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School receive training on televisions. [Provided by LG Electronics]

LG Electronics offers outstanding graduates the chance to join a conversion internship program at its Central Service Corporation. It also supports students who want to start businesses by providing practical training and mentoring in law, marketing, and business management through the school’s startup support center.

The LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School was introduced as a model case of Korea’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) at the Group of Seven summit (G7 summit) held in Évian-les-Bains, France, in June. In 2020, it was selected by the Ethiopian government as an exemplary vocational training school.

This year’s graduates also included twin siblings who are grandchildren of Korean War veteran Temam Abdul Ali, adding special meaning to the ceremony. After receiving specialized training in IT and networking, they are preparing for new challenges, with one aiming to become a network engineer and the other hoping to launch a business in the IT sector.

Graduate representative Abenezer Tewelde said, “I am grateful to LG for giving us a variety of learning opportunities.” He added, “Based on the electronics skills and expertise I learned at the Hope Vocational Training School, I will work toward achieving my dream of becoming an engineer.”

Yoon Dae-sik, executive vice president in charge of external affairs at LG Electronics, said, “Through the LG-KOICA Hope Vocational Training School, we have provided Ethiopian youth with opportunities for self-reliance and achieved meaningful results for 10 years. We will continue to work so that young people around the world can pursue their dreams and become healthy, self-reliant members of society.”

This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.