In general, the 21C is called the knowledge-based society, which is strengthened by digital economy, characterized as ICT industry, Internet, e-commerce and so on. According to the advent of the digital economy age, SMBs has come to compete with the large enterprises equally. That's because the size, distance and space are not the factor of competitiveness power furthermore. If SMBs have gotten the new and state-of-the-art technology and made strong efforts to innovate, they are capable of competing and sometimes held a prominent position. However, the technology and innovation will be able to realize by human resources. After all, the competitiveness of SMBs will be determined by the recruiting and managing of the competent human resources.
The supporting system of the HRD of workers in SMBs is represented as vocational competency development program based on the vocational training promotion act. Usually, the HRD of workers in SMBs is a field of market failure, because of externalities of HRD. To relieve market failure and build up skill development of SMBs workers, the HRD for SMBs workers is treated preferentially as compared with the HRD for SMBs workers under the provision of the act. However, the actual results were not produced differently to the intention. This is possible not only because of market failure, but also because of government failure. So the program and system have to be renovated and reformed.
The direction of HRD for SMBs workers, especially looking at from the side of governmental supporting system and program, is as follows. The approaches and methods suggested in the paper are not coherent. First, the HRD supporting system for SMBs worker is reviewed and the distinguished regulation between SMBs and large companies is also reviewed whether it is rationalized the digital economy age or not. Second, government (government funded institution) has to help SMBs to make a plan on HRD based on business strategy financially. The employment insurance act has to be revised. Vocational competency development program has to be renovated into fitting social insurances purpose, if the program is linked with the employment insurance continuously. In addition, the programs, related to HRD for SMBs workers, working in ministry of education and human resources development and small and medium business administration are also connected with vocational competency development. The national HRD strategies for SMBs workers have to be discussed and established at the ministerial council for HRD.