Performance Analysis of Certified Operators in the Rural Convergence Industry

Purpose: As part of the government’s national policy agenda, one of the key initiatives in the Rural Convergence Industry is the selection and cultivation of certified operators. This study aims to specifically analyze the business performance of certified operators, first selected in 2015, based on their characteristics, and to propose improvement measures for the Rural Convergence Industry based on the analysis results.Methods: Data were collected from the certification (renewal) records of the Gyeongnam Sixth Industry Support Center from 2015 to 2023. The R program (R Core Team 2023) was used for data analysis.Results: The performance and role of certified operators are receiving attention to spread and increase awareness of the Rural Convergence Industry. While the location, gender of the representative, type of certified operator, type of convergence industry (6th industry), and main product did not have statistically significant effects on the sales and job changes of certified operators, the sales growth rate according to the management period of certified operators was found to have a statistically significant effect.Conclusion: It was observed that the longer the management period of the certified operator, the more sales increased, with a significant rise in sales growth rate at the early stage of the certified operator. This suggests that to revitalize and successfully promote the Rural Convergence Industry, it is necessary to strengthen the operator certification system and continuously implement various projects to enhance the capabilities of certified operators.