NEWS

HD Hyundai is taking active steps to expand and strengthen the capabilities of women engineers in the shipbuilding and offshore sector.

On March 7, HD Hyundai held a “Next-Generation Women Engineers Yard Invitation Event” at its shipbuilding subsidiary HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, inviting female students from Seoul National University’s Department of Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering.

HD Hyundai organized the event to help students better understand job roles, gain practical experience, and support their growth as engineers. The program included:

• ▲Yard tour and boarding of an LNG carrier, ▲“Meet Women Leaders” session, ▲Introduction to recruitment and welfare systems, ▲Tour of research facilities

The most popular part of the program among participating students was the “Meet Women Leaders” session. Students spoke with female executives and managers who are actively working at the shipyard and used the opportunity to think deeply about their growth potential and future vision as women in the shipbuilding industry.

In fields where naval architecture and ocean engineering students typically find work —such as design engineering and research — women still represent a relatively small share of the workforce compared to office-based technical roles. HD Hyundai plans to continue communication through various programs such as the “GRC Career Mentoring” to ensure that this opportunity does not end as a one-time event but leads to an actual expansion of the female workforce.

One participating student from SNU’s Department of Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering said, “This event gave me the chance to meet role models who are actively working in shipyards,” adding, “It was a valuable opportunity that helped me find answers about my future as a naval architecture and ocean engineering student.”

A representative from HD Hyundai said, “Expanding the number of women in our workforce to enhance organizational diversity is a core task for sustainable growth,” and added, “We will strive to become a company where people want to work by nurturing female talent and strengthening systems that support work–life balance.”

Meanwhile, HD Hyundai has been working to increase the proportion of women employees to enhance diversity and inclusion within the organization. In December 2023, the company announced that it would raise the share of women among new hires to 30% by 2030. The company also supports its female employees in balancing work and childcare by providing a total of 10 million won as congratulatory welfare benefits.