Jeonnam Glotech School

A vocational high school located in Jeollanam-do, aiming to cultivate advanced technical talent linked to regional strategic industries.

Jeonnam Glotech School

Overview

Jeonnam Glotech School (Korean: 전남글로텍학교) is a vocational high school established in Jeollanam-do. As its name suggests, it combines “Global” and “Technology” and aims to cultivate talent equipped with both a global mindset and practical technical skills. It was promoted as part of a vocational education innovation policy to address the outflow of young people from the Jeonnam region and the labor shortage in industry, and its distinguishing feature is that it operates a curriculum directly linked to regional strategic industries. Through field-oriented practice and industry-academia cooperation programs, students develop the ability to work in regional industrial sites immediately upon graduation.

Main Content

Background of Establishment

Jeollanam-do is a region where aging and population decline are progressing rapidly nationwide; in particular, the outflow of young people to the Seoul metropolitan area and major metropolitan cities has led to chronic labor shortages in local industries. In response, the Jeollanam-do Office of Education, local industry, and local governments cooperated to promote a restructuring policy for vocational high schools to nurture technical talent who would settle in the region. As a result, Jeonnam Glotech School, specialized in advanced industry fields, was established. The core direction was set as breaking away from the framework of existing specialized high schools, organizing departments tailored to regional industry demand, and having companies directly participate in curriculum design and operation.

Curriculum

The school has departments in fields connected to Jeonnam’s strategic industries, such as renewable energy and energy storage systems, smart farms and agricultural automation, drones and smart logistics, and machinery and automated equipment. The curriculum is organized based on the National Competency Standards (NCS), and project-based learning (PBL), which places more emphasis on practice than theory, is central. Students receive field-oriented education using industrial equipment and practice facilities, and are supported in obtaining related certifications such as industrial engineer and craftsman qualifications. In addition, digital transformation education such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and data utilization is commonly applied to all departments to foster convergent technical talent.

Industry-Academia Cooperation and Career Paths

Through memoranda of understanding (MOUs) for industry-academia cooperation with local small and medium-sized enterprises, the school operates employment-conditioned contracted departments, field training, internships, and company-customized order-based education. The main career path for graduates is designed to be employment at regional industries, including partner companies, and paths to advance to contract departments, junior colleges, or polytechnic colleges to learn advanced technology are also open. In addition, entrepreneurship education, employment competency enhancement programs, mock interviews, and certification acquisition camps are operated.

School Life and Characteristics

A dormitory is operated for students commuting from distant areas, so students from various cities and counties in the region live together. Small class sizes and close guidance from homeroom and career teachers are cited as strengths, allowing careful management of each student’s aptitude and career path. During enrollment, opportunities to gain international perspective through overseas industrial facility visits or global training programs are also provided, and activities outside the regular curriculum, such as clubs, sports, and cultural activities, are also operated.

Latest Trends

As of 2024–2025, vocational high schools in the Jeonnam region are actively promoting departmental reorganization in response to the declining school-age population and changes in new industry demand. Jeonnam Glotech School is also expanding its educational content into growth fields such as semiconductors, secondary batteries, hydrogen energy, and smart agriculture, and strengthening AI and digital education across all departments. In addition, it is broadening employment linkages with local companies to solidify a settlement-type talent cultivation model of “learning in the region and working in the region,” while discussions continue about conversion to a Meister High School or expansion of departmental specialization. Support linked to the government’s vocational education innovation district project and regional industry-customized workforce training project is also expanding.