On November 11, a social employment workshop by business field (restaurant and catering service) was held by the Ministry of Labor and the Work Together Foundation. The participants visited Hat Sal Na Num- a joint stock company, Teot Bat-community based cooperatives, and the warehouse of Wonju Cooperatives. They were given an introduction to eco-friendly meal service centers and got a lesson on marketing strategy. Eighteen people participated in this workshop; they were CEOs or directors of companies which get social employment support, social enterprises, and pre-social enterprises.
The training course was mainly for understanding whole food service system for developing community economies and safe food rather than selecting each food business item. The participants will try to start using eco-friendly food and create value from it, and consider about re-vitalizing their community's economy through producing, processing and distributing food within the community.
They also had a course on food service marketing, which gave them a national overview of the prospects of food service, and had time to analyze and apply the marketing tools they can utilize in their businesses.
Wonju meal service center was introduced to the participants.
The center started its business with a support for social employment linked company in March, 2008, and initiated a local food movement in Wonju with a farmer-centered food processing service, a movement for making regulations for school lunches, a consignment meal service business with eco-friendly food, and built a profit making model through developing and selling eco-friendly food.
This workshop was different from usual ones as it featured both a site visit and courses. It gained a positive reaction from the participants.
Edited and revised by Patrick Ferraro