The government-led national technical qualification system is said to have failed in meeting the demands of the rapidly changing labor market due to its rigidity. To better satisfy customer demands, including those of industries, the Korean government has encouraged the private sector to participate and take a more active role improving the qualification system, and has extended the entrustment of the national technical qualification testing to private organizations.
The purpose of this study is to propose an implementation plan for the government to help promote efficient entrustment of national technical qualification testing to private organizations.
The research methods used in the study were questionnaire survey and interviews with those in charge of qualification testing or education and training in national qualification testing institutes, industry or occupational associations and government-authorized private qualification institutes. The main purpose of the survey and interviews was to investigate private organizations' capacity to carry out national qualifications testing and their will to participate as national technical qualifications testing centers.
The results indicate that most of private organizations hope to become testing centers of national technical qualifications. It, however, seems to be too premature to extent the entrustment of national technical qualification testing to private organizations considering their lack of ability to carry out the testing task of the national technical qualifications.