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KT&G's 'Imagination Career Camp' - The Fastest Path to Employment Various companies are conducting social contribution activities to support entrepreneurship and employment for socially disadvantaged groups and young people. Hotel Shilla's 'Delicious Jeju Making Project' provides self-reliance opportunities for small business owners facing financial difficulties, while CJ Foodville's 'Youth Baker Education Program' has been operating since September 2014 to provide both education and employment opportunities for young people dreaming of becoming bakers. If these social contribution programs are limited to the food service industry, there are also companies that support employment in unspecified fields and startup creation. That company is KT&G. KT&G operates 'Customized Employment Camps' for university students and 'Imagination Startup Camps' for young people who chose ventures over traditional employment. KT&G plays the role of a 'supporter' in assisting youth employment and entrepreneurship. The Imagination Career Camp is a program that diagnoses university students' employment competencies and provides individual solutions. The program is conducted in a 3-night, 4-day residential format with approximately 100 hours of intensive training. It provides customized feedback through individual competency diagnosis and mentoring, along with aptitude tests, various mock interviews, and employment lectures by working professionals to strengthen the employment capabilities of job-seeking students. Among the detailed programs, the mock interview section has introduced the latest interview methods based on consultation from employment field experts. Additionally, psychological counseling talk concerts were held to help job seekers cope with stress from ongoing job searches and recover their confidence. This program differs from other university extracurricular activities in its composition and content, receiving strong positive responses from students. It has recorded an average competition rate of 14 to 1 with each recruitment. The cumulative number of applicants through the 6th session has reached approximately 8,300. Yang Mo (28), who participated in the Imagination Career Camp in 2015 and is now employed at a major corporation, said: "After participating in the career camp, I established a standard for how to prepare for various interviews, and I could identify what I was missing in front of interviewers. When asked a question I wasn't confident about, I stopped rambling and learned to answer concisely." There is also a separate program for lower-grade university students called the 'Imagination Compass Camp.' This is a career guidance program developed for those aiming for employment but struggling with career and job position choices. Participants receive help in career planning through competency diagnosis and job analysis. The program is conducted in a 2-night, 3-day residential seminar format and provides diverse exploration opportunities through more specialized 'job-specific lectures.' 'Job consulting' provides detailed career mentoring. Additionally, individual dedicated mentors are assigned during the residential period for more detailed counseling. KT&G also operates the 'Imagination Marketing School' to nurture future marketers. The program combines case lectures explaining basic marketing theory and real-world brand launching processes with 'discussion lectures' where participants learn about market issues and receive feedback from experts. KT&G also operates the 'Imagination Closet' program to reduce the financial burden on job seekers who need to prepare expensive formal attire before interviews. Through this program, since September 2016, formal suits, shirts, and shoes have been provided free of charge to job-seeking youth. The Imagination Closet was established using the 'Imagination Fund,' which consists of voluntary donations from KT&G employees and executives. This program, which started at 6 universities nationwide in 2016, was used by approximately 3,400 people within a year, recording an average monthly rental performance of 286 people. Startup Camp: Become an Entrepreneur in 14 Weeks "Starting entrepreneurship, deliberating intensely, working hard, and finding answers together with team members and coaches over 14 weeks." The KT&G Imagination Startup Camp is a 'full-time startup entrepreneurship program.' Classes run for 14 weeks from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The characteristic feature is that coaches are dedicated to each team. Kim Jung-heon, CEO of Underdogs and a coach for the Startup Camp, said: "People trying to start a startup are those who must accomplish what seems impossible. I hope they have a positive mindset and confidence that they can do it. I believe the 14 weeks are the most important moment to take the first step as a social innovation entrepreneur, and we must do our best to ensure that moment is not wasted." The Startup Camp is a 'real survival process for entrepreneurship.' It consists of theoretical lectures, individual coaching, and practical training based on a 7-step startup methodology that concentrates social innovation startup know-how. The 7-step startup methodology includes: Stage 0 Self-Discovery → Stage 1 Problem Cause Exploration → Stage 2 Item Discovery → Stage 3 Item Specification → Stage 4 Item Advancement → Stage 5 Market Validation → Stage 6 Marketing → Stage 7 Business Plan Writing. The 1st batch of the Imagination Startup Camp actively supported the 'social innovation startup' field, which solves social problems through business, and announced its first results through a 'Demo Day' event last January. In March, a 'Imagination Summit,' a discussion forum seeking continuous development plans for the startup ecosystem, was held. The event was successful with the attendance of 400 people. The 2nd batch officially began in April. The 45 prospective young entrepreneurs selected after breaking through a 10-to-1 competition rate participated in a 14-week specialized startup education program from April to July 2024 at KT&G Sangmarkt Hongdae. The entire program is conducted free of charge as a social contribution initiative. Excellent teams will be provided with initial business cost support, overseas benchmarking opportunities, and office space rental support. Ahn Hyung-sun (Female, 30), CEO of Wang Wang, who participated in the 1st batch camp and is now a successful entrepreneur, stated: "There are many support programs for startups. However..."