Hana Financial brings virtual workplaces to students with developmental disabilities

Hana Financial Group opened a digital education classroom for students with developmental disabilities at Miral School in southern Seoul as part of corporate social contribution initiatives on Tuesday.

Participating students can gain hands-on job experience in settings that resemble real workplaces and undergo repeated training to improve the required skills.

The newly opened classroom features humanoid robotic devices that can chat with students, virtual-reality devices for occupational training, kiosks that support multimedia education and interactive digital screens. Specifically, the equipped technologies recreate environments similar to actual cafes and restaurants, where students can practice taking orders, settling payments and handling problems in various simulated settings.

The classroom aims to identify students' interests and competencies and help students with disabilities secure jobs after graduation.

The banking group also promised to extend its support for teachers educating students with special needs. It will offer self-assessment psychological tests for instructors, meditation and stress management sessions, as well as programs that share the latest educational methodologies.

“We hope the digital classroom will give students with developmental disabilities opportunities to explore different jobs, find their potential and help them smoothly find their place in society,” Hana Financial Group CEO Ham Young-joo said. “We will continuously support the students through inclusive education and empower them to become independent members of society.”

Hana Financial Group plans to select additional educational institutions in Incheon and Daejeon for students with developmental disabilities to provide the digital job-training course.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]