INCHEON — The Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corp. is partnering with universities to train specialists in waste-to-energy technology, aiming to ease a labor shortage in an industry reshaped by the metropolitan region's ban on direct landfilling.
The agency said on the 29th that it will serve as the lead institution for the waste-to-energy field in the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment's 2026 program for specialized graduate schools in environmental studies. Two graduate schools will be selected to cultivate talent in green convergence technology, each receiving 300 million won ($215,000) a year.
The curriculum departs from conventional training focused on collection and sorting. It combines artificial intelligence and big data with the full range of energy conversion processes, including pyrolysis and gasification of waste plastics and the conversion of organic waste into biogas. The focus is on producing master's and doctoral graduates who can analyze and optimize these processes digitally.
To keep the training from remaining theoretical work confined to campus laboratories, the program requires industry-academia projects and corporate internships. The agency plans to supply workers who can step directly into field roles, easing recruitment difficulties in the industry and supporting national greenhouse gas reduction targets.
"Waste-to-energy is a core industry driving the shift to a circular economy and carbon neutrality," said Cho Kang-hee, president of the Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corp. "We will spare no support in aligning university research with the needs of industry."
Applications are accepted from Sept. 29 until 4 p.m. on Oct. 19. Full details are available on the websites of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and the agency.
