Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) RISE Project Group (Director Son Jeong-min) developed a field-oriented program to simultaneously strengthen local companies' capacity to enter the public procurement market and support young talent in gaining employment at public institutions. The program received strong positive feedback.

The JBNU RISE Project Group announced on the 20th that it held a 'Public Certification System In-Service Training' and a 'Public Procurement Consultation and Job Fair' for company representatives, public institution employees, and students on the 18th and 19th at the Jinsudang 77th Anniversary Hall on campus.

This event was planned to resolve certification procedure difficulties faced by regional small and medium-sized enterprises and to provide a practical foundation enabling young talent to communicate directly with public institutions in the region and secure employment opportunities.

Experts from the Korea New Product Certification Association (NGO), the National Industrial Convergence Center of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, and the Korea Resource Circulation Industry Certification Institute served as instructors for the in-service training held on the 18th. They provided essential practical knowledge for entering the public market (B2G), including the public procurement system, new product and converged product certification systems, GR certification, and the use of product information management systems, thereby strengthening companies' capacity to access the public market.

At the job fair held on the morning of the 19th, personnel officers from major public institutions including Korea Electric Power Corporation, Korea Expressway Corporation, Korea Railroad Corporation, Korea South-East Power, Korea Power Exchange, and the Korea National Railway conducted one-on-one recruitment consultations with JBNU students. The on-site officers provided direct guidance on each institution's job requirements and preparation strategies, supporting students' concrete career exploration.

In the public procurement consultation held in the afternoon of the same day, NEP-certified companies and firms supported by the JBNU RISE Project Group were matched one-on-one with purchasing officers from public institutions. Companies shared their 2026 procurement plans and demand item data in advance, promoted their products, and laid groundwork for market entry into public procurement and expanded sales channels.

Son Jeong-min, Director of the JBNU RISE Project Group, said, 'This consecutive program is a concrete implementation measure to simultaneously promote the stable settlement of regional talent and the growth of local companies,' and added, 'We will continue to advance a cooperative ecosystem linking industry–university–research and public institutions to promote companies' entry into the public market.'

A representative of a participating local company said, 'The certification and procurement training that can be applied on site was very helpful,' and added, 'Being able to consult directly with public institution purchasing officers created actual opportunities to develop sales channels.' The participating students also said that direct meetings with the officials responsible for hiring were very helpful.

Meanwhile, JBNU plans to use this event as a starting point to further concretize links among regional small and medium-sized enterprises, public institutions, and the university, and to expand an industry–university–research cooperation network aimed at regional industrial development and preventing outflow of young talent.