Korea East-West Power (EWP) is stepping on the gas to lay a solid foundation for sustainable growth by spreading models for advancing shared growth and differentiating itself from others with reinforced social contribution activities. 

EWP is focusing on standardizing and spreading corporate models for advancing shared growth. The power company is making the rounds of power complex sites to explain the standardization and registration of corporate models. It plans to earn trademark and IP patents and register standard models in the industrial field with the Presidential Commission for Shared Growth.

EWP aims at nurturing 30 “star” SME models for shared growth by offering programs tailored to meet corporate needs. The company is providing support to SMEs by developing core technology; turning its power sites into test-beds for experimenting with SMEs’ products; assisting marketing activities by setting up overseas branches under a common brand; sharing achievements and designating New Excellent Product (NEP) certificates; and by purchasing SMEs’ products. EWP has joined forces in participating in EPC-connected exhibitions in Korea and abroad and sending overseas market exploration delegations. 

EWP has set aside 150 billion won in 2012, up from 140 billion in 2011, for financing its purchases of SMEs’ products. 

The company has established a model for hiring new employees from meister vocational high schools and is expanding the system to cover all worker categories. EWP has become the nation’s first company to introduce a quota for recruiting meister vocational high school graduates. EWP has made its mark in establishing open-minded recruiting systems such as raising the portion of gender equality from 10 percent to 15 percent and the rate of manpower from provincial districts other than the Seoul metropolitan area from 20 percent to 30 percent. The company has received diverse prizes for establishing and spreading a model for hiring new employees from meister vocational high schools. 

EWP is earnestly implementing its corporate responsibility to the community by sharing its blessings. The company has been credited with creating common values by conducting social contribution activities related to power projects. EWP is implementing the so-called Power Project for Hope of Sharing Sunlight as part of its efforts to eradicate the energy divide. The company has been installing photovoltaic power facilities for the underprivileged. EWP is also conducting global contribution activities in areas where the company is carrying out power projects. For instance, EWP offered scholarships and provided support for the construction of homes for the victims of the strong earthquake in Haiti. It also doled out necessities and breakfasts to primary school students in the neighborhood of a thermal power plant in Cebu, the Philippines, being built by EWP. 

EWP ranked first for the third consecutive year in 2012 in an evaluation of management for shared growth among 59 public organizations, conducted by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

The Presidential Commission for Shared Growth designated EWP’s model for shared growth as the national standard for SMEs last November.

EWP has been devoting itself to ensuring corporate social responsibility with 2012 as the first year designating EWP and other public entities as market-oriented public enterprises. EWP has been taking the lead in exploring a model for pursuing co-prosperity among large and small-sized companies. 

In a related development, EWP signed an agreement on the provision of productivity innovation partnerships for enhancing profits among its secondary and tertiary cooperative SMEs at the EWP head office in Seoul on July 24.  

Under the agreement, EWP offers comprehensive consulting services ranging from technological support for SMEs and integrated management analysis to market sales exploration. EWP and the government each will shoulder 300 million won and 200 million won, reepsctively, for a combined 500 million won °™ investing 50 million won for management innovation to each of the 10 secondary and tertiary cooperative SMEs.