Practice Enterprise

In modern society, companies prefer applicants with working hands-on background. However, many students preparing to look for occupation have their little experience about it, and several of them are absolutely not to try it. This problem may cause the students to have difficulty in their job search activity. To help the problem, Kunsan National University LINK Group provides the PE that aims to practice them about actual work. In this article, we introduce interview contents with Professor and the PE’s director.

Question: First of all, please explain the meaning and the role of the PE.
Answer: The PE is virtual company environment made in order that the students experience job. The meaning of a word is Practice Enterprise and it is not exist to all intents, but the participating students try to make steady progress by carrying forward a business plan and working many office workers. To help them, the LINK Group makes three enterprises of another color, Air Cosmetic, Smart Electronics, Kintec. These enterprises have their mentor companies running a business even now to support and advise the students’ activities. The mentor companies depend on the LINK enterprises’ characteristic, so Air Cosmetic is supported by Amore Pacific, LG Household & Health Care Ltd and Smart Electronics is supported by Samsung electronics Co, Microsoft. Kintec is supported by Intelkorea. The most important reason that they participate in this program and advise the students is to have the possibility an ineffective occurring case among student only, so LINK Group requests to help the real companies. Therefore, these companies help to make entrepreneurial skill system. That is to say, practice enterprises as mentors close a gap between the work to do students and actual business affairs.

Question: Who is the target of the PE?
Answer: The PE is made for humanities and social sciences students at first. These students participate in work experience to assist office work but they cannot do practical works in most cases not because of being the original employee. The original employees are not to set the students difficult jobs. They give rather easy tasks, odd jobs and watch works with doing the original employees to the students. Therefore the effect resulted from work experience is not high. That is, it is made for the number of such students. However we open the PE to whole students lately.

Question: What do you think the students get by participation the PE? 
Answer: Although the students complete this program, they do not get a job immediately. However this work is very similar corporate one. The students’ business ability doesn’t elevate sharply but they can learn the practical work, atmosphere and workplace culture. That is, they can adapt their future jobs easily. They put heads together and produce result, not just follow the directions. Thus, they get self-directed and conative participation experience and passive students are to have a possibility changing their characteristic because of much presentation. In addition, they have to write English word processing dealing with foreign firms and they improve their foreign language ability as a result.

Question: What made you to decide on a position as the PE director?
Answer: I have not a special reason to take care of this program. LINK Group is introduced with professors at College of Liberal Arts as the central figure. At this moment one professor suggests me to undertake this program and ever since then I have progressed it. When the student changes their behavior for the better, I’m fulfilled.

Question: Please tell something the students not knowing the PE.
Answer: Kunsan National University has prosecuted useful programs like the PE. However, participation rate is always down. This program is relatively held for a long time, so some students think it is bothered. Kunsan National University is ready to participate in the students at present. The students participating in these programs like the PE are surely to take part in various events and programs. However the rest students besides them are not to get the benefit, so I recommend searching and participating actively.

Question: How do you think the PE’s direction of improvement?
Answer: I think that the PE is an employment related program but it has educational meaning at the same time. Therefore, I hope that the students have a comprehensive understanding about it. I think that these things have to spread around the school as much as possible.