SK Telecom and the Community Chest of Korea (www.chest.or.kr), announced that they will provide to social welfare workers who are voluntarily taking care of orphaned children, elder people, physically challenged people and homeless people in social welfare facilities nationwide, the opportunity to visit advanced countries’ social welfare facilities and learn their systems. This overseas training program is designed to encourage the social welfare workers sense of mission and responsibility.

These workers have been working to help unfortunate people in an unfavorable environment, and have never had a chance to learn advanced social welfare systems.

The first overseas training group that consists of 19 middle managers and workers at social welfare facilities, will depart for Australia on June 4th. The group is scheduled to visit advanced social welfare facilities and learn the systems in Australia for 7 days.

Following the first overseas training group, the second group that comprises 73 workers, plans to visit Australia in June on the same schedule as the first group.

In September of this year, 74 workers will visit Japan for 5 days in order to take a look at Japanese social welfare facilities, systems, and government policies.

The Japanese social welfare systems are quite similar to those of Korea.

After participating, the social welfare workers will seek to improve measures in Korean social welfare facilities, and establish future directions for the system.

Young Chul Shin, managing director of SK Telecom said, "We are very pleased to give the social welfare workers an opportunity to experience advanced countries’ welfare systems.

Previously these dedicated workers had no chance to learn advanced social welfare systems, even though they have been doing hard work on the front line of unfavorable social welfare facilities.

We expect that they will contribute to the development of the Korean social welfare system after increasing their expertise and specialties in the field through these overseas training programs."

Sue Kyung Yun, secretary general of the Community Chest of Korea stated, "Social welfare workers are not able to fully satisfy the increasing demand for welfare activities with only their sense of devotion and contribution.

Through these overseas training programs, we hope that every group member will gain a wide and well-balanced view of advanced social welfare systems".

"Also, we hope you will share your experience and knowledge of advanced countries’ welfare systems with your colleagues, and strive to offer more dedicated welfare services to needy neighbors," she told the overseas training group members.