NEWS

The 'Root Academy Hall,' a cradle for cultivating talent in the foundational industries of shipbuilding, has opened its doors at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.

On February 6, a ceremony was held at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries headquarters in Ulsan to mark the opening of the Root Academy Hall. The event was attended by CEO Lee Sang-kyun and CEO Noh Jin-yul of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Director Jo Hae-hyun of the Internal Cooperative Association of suppliers, Mayor Kim Du-gyeom of Ulsan, Representative Kwon Myeong-ho, Chairman Kim Ki-hwan of the Ulsan City Council, and Director Yoon Sung-hyuk from the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.

The area, spanning approximately 3,570 square meters within the main and maritime factory premises of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, where around 190 suppliers are located, was designated as the 'Ulsan Bangeojin Shipbuilding and Marine Specialized Complex,' a 'Root Industry Specialized Complex,' by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy in 2021. The following year, it was selected for the 'Leading Root Industry Specialized Complex Support Project.'

In line with the support project, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries embarked on the establishment of the Root Academy Hall within its production site last year, aimed at providing tailored workforce development and welfare benefits for root industries.

The newly opened Root Academy Hall spans four floors with a total floor area of 3,915 square meters, equipped with state-of-the-art vocational education facilities such as paint training rooms and welding practice rooms to enhance the skills of supplier workers. Additionally, various sports and health facilities including a health examination center and fitness center, as well as convenience facilities like a uniform service center and café, have been established.

Particularly noteworthy is the paint training room equipped with four advanced VR (Virtual Reality) simulators, allowing workers to practice paintwork, which is difficult to simulate in real-life conditions, virtually. This is expected to greatly assist in professional workforce development.

As part of the support project, mobile restrooms and changing rooms have been installed to improve the welfare of supplier workers.

A total of approximately 12.3 billion won, including 6 billion won in government funds, 2 billion won from Ulsan Metropolitan City, and around 4.3 billion won from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and the Internal Cooperative Association of Suppliers, has been invested in this project.

CEO Lee Sang-kyun stated, "The Root Academy Hall is expected to greatly help alleviate the difficulties faced by root industries in securing and nurturing skilled workers," and pledged continuous efforts for the co-prosperity of root industries in the shipbuilding sector.

Root industries refer to industries that provide the foundational process technology utilized across various manufacturing sectors such as welding, casting, molding, and metalworking. The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy has been designating regions with concentrated root industries as root industry specialized complexes, supporting the construction of shared facilities and innovation activities.