| An effective climate technology workforce development program: Unveiling participant needs through focus group interviews | |
| An effective climate technology workforce development program: Unveiling participant needs through focus group interviews | |
| Baek, Yong Jun* ･ Kim, Da Eun*† and Chung, Yong Woon** | |
| Baek, Yong Jun* ･ Kim, Da Eun*† and Chung, Yong Woon** | |
| This study examines the importance of acknowledging participant needs and desires when designing a workforce development program, using the case study of the Climate Technology Workforce Development Program (CTWDP). All participants are surveyed, and focus group interviews (FGI) with selected students are conducted to gain a deeper understanding of their responses. Afterward, keywords from the responses are extracted and categorized into themes to gain a better understanding of the participants’ needs. From the findings, two key insights surfaced: 1) participants aim to secure a competitive advantage in the job market, and 2) workforce development programs can amplify their interest in the respective sector. First, students are highly career-oriented and view the workforce development program as an opportunity to enhance their career prospects. Hence, they value practical experience, industry connections, and tangible achievements that can enhance their employability. However, if the program does not provide such opportunities with clear incentives, they tend to perceive the program as time-consuming and not helpful. Second, the program can stimulate student interest in the sector by enhancing their knowledge and providing new career options. Due to short engagement in the program, students were reluctant to report significant improvement in their capacity, but most students have reported increased interest and willingness to seek more opportunities within the sector. Therefore, the findings of this study underscore the importance of identifying participant desires when designing workforce development programs, which is the key to the program’s success. | |
| Carbon Neutrality, Climate Technology, Focus Group Interview, Program Evaluation, Workforce Development | |
 140601-04.pdf | |
| 2093-5919 | |
| 2586-2782 | |
| 2023-12 |
