Attendees, including Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo, front row center; Kim Seong-wook, senior deputy governor at the Financial Supervisory Service, second row first from left; and British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks, second row center, take a selfie during a launch ceremony for a youth training program at the group’s headquarters in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Hana Financial Group

Hana Financial Group launched a youth training program aimed at developing future finance talent, the group said Tuesday.

The program, designed to provide hands-on training opportunities for young people seeking careers in finance, is also backed by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), Amazon Web Services and Microsoft.

The launch event, which took place at the group's headquarters in Seoul, Monday, included a competition session to select participants for a three-month training course running through July.

Among the attendees were Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo; Kim Seong-wook, senior deputy governor at FSS; British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks; Future for Youth Foundation Chairman Lee Hoon-kyu; and Um Jong-hwan, head of environmental, social and governance (ESG) at SK Telecom.

Twenty teams of university students took part in the competition, presenting financial service ideas using technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and cloud data.

"This project is meaningful in that it supports youth employment while helping young people build capabilities in areas such as AI and green transition. I hope it gives participants an opportunity to gain practical digital and ESG knowledge applicable in the financial sector," Kim said.

"The future competitiveness of the financial industry depends on how well we foster and secure talent," Ham said. "We will fully support participants so they can grow into leaders in financial innovation."

According to Hana Financial Group, selected participants will undergo training covering financial markets, ESG and consumer protection, along with digital skills such as data analysis and generative AI applications.

They will also take part in team projects mentored by the group's employees and a hackathon in collaboration with SK Telecom focused on developing financial services for marginalized groups.

Source: Korea Times News