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Tag: training

  • Starbucks Korea Closes for Sensitivity Training Following Historic Campaign Controversy

    Starbucks Korea Closes for Sensitivity Training Following Historic Campaign Controversy

    Following public disapproval over a marketing campaign, Starbucks Korea, operated by Shinsegae Group, has announced it will close all stores across the country at 3pm on June 22 for employee training related to historical awareness and social sensitivity. The coffee giant came under fire for a campaign last month that was reminiscent of a harsh military suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators in 1980, leading to significant sales losses.

    Training and Education Initiative

    E-Mart, an affiliate of Shinsegae and owner of Starbucks Korea, initiated the promotional campaign named ‘Tank Day’ tumbler on the anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising on May 18. The historical event saw the military government deploy troops and tanks to quell pro-democracy rallies. In response to the backlash, staff and executives from Starbucks Korea and E-Mart division at Shinsegae will undertake the same training on June 17 at the group’s internal training center. Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yong-jin and affiliate CEOs will partake in a separate session on June 24. Shinsegae’s decision to implement these measures reflects the gravity with which it views the recent marketing misstep and signifies its dedication to avoiding similar situations in the future. Chairman Chung has previously issued a public apology for the controversy.

    The training will be spearheaded by a history professor from Sungkyunkwan University and will delve into significant events in South Korea’s modern and contemporary history since the 1950s. A separate social sensitivity training, facilitated by a sociology professor from the same university, will focus on how businesses should take into account societal factors such as history, labor, gender, and human rights in marketing and all corporate activities.

    Introducing New Measures

    This will be the first nationwide early closure for Starbucks Korea since its establishment in the country in 1999. In light of recent events, Starbucks Korea also intends to revamp its marketing approval procedures. This includes the introduction of a social-sensitivity checklist that covers history, commemorative dates, politics, disasters, military issues, gender, violence, and hate expressions.

    As of the end of 2024, Starbucks Korea had more than 2000 stores in the country and is regarded as the leading coffee chain in terms of customer payments.

    Questions & Answers

    What spurred Starbucks Korea to close its stores for employee training?
    Starbucks Korea faced public criticism due to a marketing campaign reminiscent of a harsh military suppression in 1980, which led to a significant drop in sales. The company has decided to close all stores in the country for staff training on historical awareness and social sensitivity.

    What will the training sessions entail?
    The history awareness lecture will be conducted by a history professor from Sungkyunkwan University and will review significant events in South Korea’s modern and contemporary history. Another professor from the same university will conduct a separate social sensitivity training, focusing on how companies should consider societal issues in their operations and marketing activities.

    What changes does Starbucks Korea plan to implement moving forward?
    Starbucks Korea plans to overhaul its marketing approval procedures by introducing a social-sensitivity checklist that covers history, commemorative dates, politics, disasters, military issues, gender, violence, and hate expressions. This is aimed at ensuring such marketing missteps do not recur in the future.

  • Escalating Dropout Rate Among South Korean Teacher-training Students Raises Concerns

    Escalating Dropout Rate Among South Korean Teacher-training Students Raises Concerns

    There has been an escalating trend of South Korean students abandoning their teacher-training colleges due to progressively unfavorable working conditions, static wages, and dwindling career outlooks. According to the Korea Educational Development Institute, the student attrition rate in education colleges reached a record high of 4.2% last year, a rate that has remained constant since the preceding year.

    Even Top Schools Are Not Spared

    Data from the Ministry of Education indicates that this issue is prevalent even among top-tier institutions. Both Seoul National University of Education and Gyeongin National University of Education experienced over 100 students opting out of their programs, in spite of these institutions being renowned for producing elementary school teachers.

    The dropout rate among students in education universities has seen a gradual increase over the years. In 2018, the dropout rate was less than 1%, which increased to 1.5% in 2019 and 1.7% in 2020, rose to 2.4% in 2021 and 3.2% in 2022, and eventually leveled at approximately 4% in 2023 and 2024.

    Factors Driving the Trend

    Surveys suggest that the key factors contributing to this trend are the diminishing authority of teachers and increased parental pressure. A poll conducted by the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Unions in May, involving 8,254 teachers across elementary, middle, and high schools, showed that 58% considered transferring or resigning within a year. Of these, a whopping 77.5% cited excessive parental complaints as the primary reason.

    A different survey by the Korea Federation of Teachers’ Associations revealed that only 19.7% would pursue teaching again given the opportunity. This is the lowest percentage since the poll’s inception in 2012.

    Experts attribute this disillusionment to more challenging classroom environments, heightened emotional labor, and relatively mediocre salaries, especially in comparison with major corporations. Furthermore, there is a deficiency in safeguards for teachers’ authority.

    Increased Attention to the Issue

    The spotlight on this issue intensified following a tragic incident in 2023 at Seoul’s Seoi Elementary School, where a young teacher took her own life reportedly due to mounting parental pressure. A similar case occurred on Jeju Island this year involving a teacher who allegedly faced ceaseless complaints prior to her death.

    The future prospects for teaching jobs are also becoming less promising. Along with the dwindling school-age population resulting from the low birthrate, the teacher certification exam increasingly fails to guarantee employment, thereby further dissuading potential educators.

    Questions & Answers

    What factors are contributing to the increasing dropout rate among South Korean education university students?
    Several factors are contributing to this trend, including worsening working conditions, stagnant wages, diminishing teacher authority, and escalating parental pressure.

    How is this dropout trend affecting even the leading education universities?
    Despite the prestigious status of institutions like Seoul National University of Education and Gyeongin National University of Education, they have not been spared from this trend. Both universities have seen over 100 students leaving their programs.

    Are the job prospects for teachers in South Korea getting worse?
    Yes, job prospects are declining for teachers in South Korea. This is largely due to the decreasing school-age population resulting from the low birthrate, which makes the teacher certification exam less effective in securing employment.

  • India needs 10k pilots by 2030 says AirAsia

    India needs 10k pilots by 2030 says AirAsia

    Despite the current slump in the domestic aviation market, India will require up to 10,000 new pilots by 2030. Acknowledging this, AirAsia India on Tuesday launched the country’s first cadet-pilot program, ready to send its first batch of 15 cadets to New Zealand for flight training.

    By passenger volumes, India was ranked second globally among the fastest growing domestic markets for aviation. This would only mean the requirement for pilots will spike in the future, even as the Kingfisher and Jet Airways pilots are being quickly absorbed by other airlines.  To get the cadet-pilot project going, AirAsia India has partnered with New Zealand Academy and Harrison Omniview Consulting. As part of the 18-24 month course, selected candidates will be trained at the currently under-utilized Oamaru airport in New Zealand’s Waitaki district.

    The first batch of the cadets will come out in 2021, informs AirAsia India’s Head of Operations, Capt Manish Uppal. Cadets earn their second officer rank and commercial pilot license after 500 hours of flying before graduating to first officer, senior first officer, and captain, in charge of the entire aircraft and crew.

    The first batch of the cadets will come out in 2021, informs AirAsia India’s Head of Operations, Capt Manish Uppal. Cadets earn their second officer rank and commercial pilot license after 500 hours of flying before graduating to first officer, senior first officer and captain, in charge of the entire aircraft and crew.  Headquartered in Bengaluru, AirAsia India currently has a fleet of 21 Airbus-A320 aircraft covering 19 destinations across the country. The airline had commenced operations in India on June 12th.

    Uppal informs 11% of the airline’s crew are women. Most of the batch passing out from the cadet-pilot program are expected to be absorbed by the airline.

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  • Ebay launches e-commerce training program in Singapore

    Ebay launches e-commerce training program in Singapore

    Ebay Singapore and the Institute of Retail Studies have partnered in an e-commerce training program.

    Called “Let’s Ebay with SIRS”, the full-day workshop aims to help aspiring entrepreneurs kickstart their e-commerce business and connect with the global marketplace of active buyers.

    The program was designed for small businesses and entrepreneurs who have little or no e-commerce experience but want to learn directly from the source.

    Singapore’s e-commerce market is expected to grow by 48 per cent to S$10.04 billion by 2022.

    “Singapore’s cross-border trade continues to grow and there is a huge opportunity for more small businesses to join the ranks of Ebay sellers,” said Wong Mei Inn, Ebay‘s head of Southeast Asia seller growth.

    “By listing their products on Ebay’s global marketplace, Singaporean businesses can reach 180 million active buyers all around the world.”

    SMEs contribute to 72 per cent of Singapore’s employment, and added a nominal value of $213.6 billion, or 48 per cent to the economy last year.

    “E-commerce has been recognised as one of the key growth opportunities under the 2020 vision of the Retail Industry Transformation Map launched by Spring Singapore (now Enterprise Singapore),” said Megan Ong, Nanyang Polytechnic’s Singapore Institute of Retail Studies director.

    “By partnering with Ebay, we will be able to encourage retailers in Singapore to adopt e-commerce and omnichannel strategies to succeed in today’s digital context.”

    Following the workshop, the two parties launched an Ebay onboarding program which further enables SMEs to optimise cross-border selling and manage operations.

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  • Estee Lauder launches mobile training via YouCam

    Estee Lauder launches mobile training via YouCam

    Using Perfect Corp’s YouCam, Estee Lauder has introduced mobile-based AR training for its beauty advisers internationally.

    Its ART (augmented reality training) is the world’s first such education program. Using interactive live streaming, it allows the company’s more than 17,000 beauty advisers to engage in real-time training and product briefings via their mobile devices.

    Beauty advisers will be able to interact with instructors, virtually try featured looks, watch presentations and ask questions.

    Estee Lauder will also be able to track attendance, engagement and overall performance of its trainers and participants.

    “We believe this is a turning point in beauty education,” says Estee Lauder global brand president Stephane de La Faverie.

    The training initiative builds on two other technology projects launched as a result of the Estee Lauder-YouCam partnership. In April, Estee Lauder used YouCam for the launch of Pure Color Love lipstick, allowing customers to virtually try all 30 shades in 30 seconds. It has since rolled out Virtual Try On on more than 800 devices in stores and on the YouCam app for its global makeup franchises.

    This month, Estee Lauder introduced YouCam “Look Transfer” technology as part of an influencer launch event for Pure Color Envy Paint-On Liquid Lip Color. The technology recognises the makeup shades used on models in an advertising campaign, allowing consumers to recreate the model’s look via Virtual Try-On. This will debut in stores and through the app next year.

    The YouCam Makeup app can be downloaded free from the App Store and Google Play.

  • Thai univeristy opens Alibaba e-commerce training center

    Thai univeristy opens Alibaba e-commerce training center

    The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) has become an authorized Alibaba e-commerce training center in Thailand.

    Both organizations said they will work to accelerate e-commerce growth in Thailand and help Thai SMEs position themselves in the global market.

    Several collaborative programs, including training the trainers, have already been implemented. A team of Alibaba personnel has coached UTCC faculty members in the School of Business and the School of Science and Technology, among others, to become certified Alibaba trainers.

    These trainers, in turn, are now ready to train Thai SMEs, entrepreneurs and UTCC students to run businesses on Alibaba.com.

    UTCC said it can train more than 5,000 individuals per year, which would help create more e-commerce-minded entrepreneurs and allow more SMEs to expand their businesses internationally.

    “Thai SMEs can potentially drive Thailand’s economy. They just need opportunities to do so. UTCC is now taking the lead to open the door of opportunities for those who aim to take their B2B businesses to another level,” said UTCC President and Associate Professor Dr. Sauwanee Thairungroj.

    Jerry Wu, Alibaba’s country manager in Thailand, said the company sees great potential in products from Thailand and hopes to train Thai SMEs to compete effectively on the global stage through e-commerce.

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  • Google to train 2m app developers in India

    Google to train 2m app developers in India

    In a bid to bridge the skills gap in the mobile app development segment in India, Google has launched a new certification program to train two million Android app developers over the next three years.

    The company hopes to support the government’s Skill India initiative through this program.

    India is expected to have the largest developer population globally, overtaking the United States, by 2018, with four million developers. However, currently only 25% of developers are building for mobile.

    Google has also launched an instructor-led training program on Android Fundamentals, available across public, private universities and training institutes of the National Skill Development Corporation of India.

    “By building a world class curriculum and making it easily accessible to millions of students and developers in India, we want to contribute to the Skill India initiative and help make India the global leader in mobile app development,” Google VP of product management Caesar Sengupta said.

    The in-person training will be integrated with Computer Science curricula of universities within this calendar year.

    The Android Developer Fundamentals course material will also be covered on NPTEL (an IIT Madras project in collaboration with the IITs and IISc) as part of its online Mobile Computing Course starting this month. The Android Developer Fundamentals reference course and all practicals and courseware will also be available as open source to everyone for free.

    In addition to partnering with the National Skill Development Corporation of India, Google has also teamed up with training partners such as Edureka, Koenig, Manipal Global, Simplilearn, Udacity and UpGrad – Google will train their trainers and update their Android courseware to prepare their students for the Android Certification and a career in Android development.

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  • More global firms eye Philippines as training hub

    More global firms eye Philippines as training hub

    The Philippines has the potential to become a preferred training hub by multinational companies due to its English-speaking and skilled workforce, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.

    Trade Undersecretary Ponciano Manalo Jr. told reporters more companies are looking at the Philippines as the location for their training facilities because Filipinos can speak English well and can easily be trained.

    “The Philippines is beginning to be looked at as a training hub or training center,” he said.

    Among the companies interested in making the Philippines its training hub is aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

    Manalo and Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo met with representatives from Airbus during their visit to France earlier this month.

    Aside from Airbus, other companies engaged in aerospace as well as other sectors such as transportation and construction are also interested in setting up training facilities in the Philippines.

    At present, some firms engaged in the retail business have started undertaking training programs in the Philippines such as Japan’s Uniqlo and Sweden’s H&M.

    Uniqlo is bringing Japanese students in their Philippine outlets in order to train in English as a second language.

    H&M is likewise undertaking training activities in their retail outlets in the country.

    Given the interest by firms in making the Philippines the location of their training activities, Manalo said the DTI can include such in the government’s efforts to attract firms to locate in the country.

    “It (training) is turning out to be an opportunity that we can promote to firms,” he said.

    The Philippines’ young, English-speaking and skilled talent pool has often been cited as one of the reasons global companies to set up operations in the country.