Samsung opens 11th branch of Stepping Stone of Hope youth center in Daejeon

Samsung Electronics President Park Seung-hee, fifth from left, poses with other officials at the opening ceremony of Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope's Daejon center on Thursday. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung expanded its corporate social responsibility program to support housing for young people preparing for independence, opening the 11th Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope center in Daejeon on Thursday.

The Daejeon center is equipped with 14 living units and provides educational services to young people to learn skills for employment.

Young people preparing for independence can reside within the dormitories for up to two years, with each person having their own room. Adolescents aged 15 to 18, who are about to leave care facilities, can apply to stay in the units for a few days to experience living in the center in advance.

The Daejeon center will be operated by the Daejeon Metropolitan City Association of Child Welfare.

Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope now has a total of 11 centers up and running since the first center was established in Busan in 2016.

Another center in Chungbuk is set to open this October.

The centers also teach the young residents skills that are necessary for daily living, such as cooking, cleaning and organizing, and provide basic economic education, such as asset management, as well as career counseling and job placement services to support youth independence.

As of 2023, 27,065 young people have gone through the centers as a stepping stone to independence.

“Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope was born out of the ideas of none other than our own Samsung employees in 2013,” said Samsung Electronics President Park Seung-hee at the opening ceremony of the Daejeon center on Thursday.

The 25 billion won ($18.3 million) donation to launch the program also came from Samsung employees. The company then added another 25 billion won to expand the project.

“Thanks to everyone’s support, it has now grown to become a beacon of hope for all youth. Since last year, we have expanded our efforts to support these young people to include emotional mentoring, job training and rolling out programs to help their transition into society.”

Five educational courses, consisting of electronics and IT manufacturing, shipbuilding, IT services, confectionery and semiconductor refinement, were introduced to center residents last year, and 23 out of the 46 graduates successfully secured employment.

This year, four new courses were launched in May to further bolster youth job opportunities, including online advertising, heavy equipment operation certification, pet grooming and nail art certification.

“What young people preparing for independence need is not only a safe place to live but also mentors who listen to their concerns, help them find adequate career paths and most of all, be a family,” Park concluded. “This, we believe, is the role of our society and Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope.”

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]