Thailand needs to reskill its workforce in order to compete, grow

[webfact]

 

By Erich Parpart

 

Thailand has to address many “constraints to investment”, accelerate investment in digital technologies and upskill its workforce to gain better access to cash flow worth billions of dollars in modern and circular markets, the World Bank in its latest report released on Tuesday.

 

According to the Country Private Sector Diagnostic report for Thailand, by the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank, accelerating investment in digital technologies and promoting a circular economy approach in key industries can generate up to US$3.4 billion through investment flows and revenues for the country.

 

But the upskilling or reskilling of the Thai labour force is needed if the country wants to better find these opportunities because “the supply of appropriate skills is missing” due to an aging society, shortage of foreign experts, underdevelopment, and outdated curricula.

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/37738/thailand-needs-to-reskill-its-workforce-in-order-to-compete-grow/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2022-02-23

 

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[Albert Zweistein]

Not reskill, SKILL !

[RandiRona]

Make them learn english and technology and not with the discarded waste of teachers from west....Get your own local teacher trained in west on language and science. 

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thailand has to address many “constraints to investment”, accelerate investment in digital technologies and upskill its workforce

It doesn't and it won't.

[tomyami]

Nah they are to set in there ways best stay stupid 12 hour shifts for 395b bet they eat and sleep 50% of the time, they would be unemployable in the west lazy <deleted>  

Edited February 23, 2022 by metisdead
Profanity removed.

[Pique Dard]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

the World Bank in its latest report released on Tuesday.

i don't know if thailand's minister of economic affairs reads aseannow, but this is just one of  world bank's mantras 

[ChrisY1]

What Thailand needs and what they get are vastly different. 

Importing skilled people is far easier and cheaper than educating their own.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand has to address many “constraints to investment”, accelerate investment in digital technologies and upskill its workforce to gain better access to cash flow worth billions of dollars in modern and circular markets, the World Bank in its latest report released on Tuesday.

Thailand is becoming less skilled than it was even 10 years ago.

The last eight years have not only stagnated growth but reversed it back a decade or two.

Prayut & Co have done zero for investment, growth of the economy, infrastructure or commerce.

If Thailand had to seriously compete on a level playing field they would be slaughtered by the rest of the world.

 

 

[Muhendis]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

upskill its workforce

I guess our village electricians will soon be going to college then.

[RichardColeman]

We saw about a half dozen absolutely sloshed thais drinking and singing at 9am yesterday morning on the way to Tops - I think looking at them it would be hard pressed to get them skilled enough to get them to screw the top back on the bottle ! Most non-workers appear to me to be in two brackets - those with reasonable enough education but have no work, or those with no education with no interest in working as hard or for as little as a migrant worker. Course having an ongoing idiotic program of 8 million job cuts by the PM is not helping any

[Gottfrid]

Impossible! You can not re- or up- something that does not exist

[swm59nj]

Especially professionalism in relation to the type of job they have. But that has a lot to do with the mentality.  And poor management.  
As an example.  I’m a member of a gym that is a major company here in Thailand.  Most of the staff do nothing but hang out and stare  at their phones.  The assistant manager who is Australian was  chatting with me one day.  I mentioned this to him.  He said the staff don’t listen to him and that is the culture.  I told him if they don’t listen to him do something about it. 

[IAMHERE]

Why do the power elite care? Thailand runs just fine thank you. Skills mean education and that is dangerous to the status quo. I'd love to see Thailand upgrade its general skill level but the critical thinking involved could cause problems among the general populace.

[soi3eddie]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

upskill its workforce to gain better access to cash flow worth billions of dollars

Is upskilling really needed? Simply removing tourist entry restrictions and supplying the ladies with latest smartphones and apps would lead to an instant increase in cash revenue!

 

[Sydebolle]

Reskill, did I read reskill? 

If you ask me then you have to start teaching basic skills first - the most average Thai Joe knows absolutely nothing of doing a simple job clean, tidy, complete, in time and lasting. 

Then you teach them basics in loyality and same rights for all; you do not always attend to the sick buffalo in Nakorn Nowhere, you do not have at least three granddads passing away on a yearly basis and if you change jobs, then you inform your employer at the same framework like if your employer lays you off. 

Once all this is understood and adhered to, then you can go into either reskill or further advance their vocational skills ....... however it will not happen during my lifetime! 

[Caldera]

Well good luck with that! The Thai education system was already producing horrible results long before Covid, but the Covid closures certainly haven't helped either. 

[Cake Monster]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

But the upskilling or reskilling of the Thai labour force is needed if the country wants to better find these opportunities because “the supply of appropriate skills is missing” due to an aging society, shortage of foreign experts, underdevelopment, and outdated curricula.

A damning statement indeed from the World Bank, and the International Finance Corporation.

This report is going to hurt Thailand very much, as Potential Investors weigh up their options for there placement of funds in SE Asia.

Even if there were a massive overhaul of the Education System, it would take at least 10 Years for any positive results to be recognized, by which time Thailand will be even further behind the curve  than they are today.

To reskill, or up-skill the current worker pool, would not be possible, as basic, fundamental knowledge is missing, the only solution will take 10 years, or more 

[Enoon]

8 hours ago, tomyami said:

Nah they are to set in there ways best stay stupid 12 hour shifts for 395b bet they eat and sleep 50% of the time, they would be unemployable in the west lazy fdckers  

Is there a problem with the quality of their labour, or the products they make, when they are employed in the factories of Triumph, Honda or Sony in Thailand?

 

The problem is that that the middle and upper tiers capable of enabling that do not exist in Thailand society.

 

That is because the upper tiers controlling Thailnd society do not permit it.

 

You are beating the child for the parents shortcomings

 

All too common on these pages..

 

[rudi49jr]

Thailand needs a complete overhaul of its entire education system, teach children to think for themselves and not to just slavishly follow the rules and be an obedient good little boy or girl. And teach them proper English, for goodness’ sake, so hire good English teachers and pay them a good wage. The importance of being able to speak, understand, read and write English can not be overstressed. 

[Srikcir]

Years ago:

"Lack of Skilled Workforce Can Hamper in the Development of EEC and Thailand"

Sep. 3, 2018

Only about 39% of workers are suitable for the job they are doing which can hamper in the development of the EEC.

https://www.chonburi.spu.ac.th

 

"Thai universities urged to partner globally to prepare EEC workers"

Aug. 26, 2019

Demand for workers in the EEC industries will reach 475,000 positions in the next five years.

Universities actively responding to the National Strategy will be provided help and budget funds, while private companies working with the higher education sector will receive tax incentives.

https://thaiembdc.org

 

Seems the government didn't get what it paid for. Time for some payback to the public for the EEC boondoggle.

Thailand's higher educational system and involved private companies apparently have failed to meet goals of the National Strategy. They need to be made accountable, as well as the government that heralded such an approach.

[Muhendis]

1 hour ago, Cake Monster said:

To reskill, or up-skill the current worker pool, would not be possible, as basic, fundamental knowledge is missing, the only solution will take 10 years, or more 

In my opinion that is not true.

Basic, fundamental knowledge is not missing by any means. What seems to be missing is how to apply it and how to expand it.

[Highend Expat]

Same story every year. 

 

The ruling elites here have no appetite to create a truly skilled, thinking populace. They are instead happy to keep the status quo where they can be obscenely wealthy and have Noi from Issan sell them delicous 'moo ping' for 40 baht. 

 

The Thai elites are not stupid. They have a better setup than virtually any other wealthy class in the world. 

[soi3eddie]

1 hour ago, rudi49jr said:

Thailand needs a complete overhaul of its entire education system, teach children to think for themselves and not to just slavishly follow the rules and be an obedient good little boy or girl. And teach them proper English, for goodness’ sake, so hire good English teachers and pay them a good wage. The importance of being able to speak, understand, read and write English can not be overstressed. 

You no understand. Thailand number one! No need speak Engrish.

 

[metisdead]

A post using a trolling image has been removed.

[Longwood50]

The government in most countries, the USA included does very little to focus training on the "needs" of the nation and provide skill training to meet them.  The USA currently has a shortage of 1. Electrical installers, 2. Aircraft mechanics, 3. elevator installers, 4. pile driver operators, 5. petroleum pump 6. telecommunication equipment installers, 7. construction inspectors 8. powerhouse repair technicians 9. police officers, 10. power plant operators. 

All of these don't require a college degree.  The only nation that I know that affirmatively coordinates education with business needs is China.  They target certain industries like pharmaceuticals, computer technology, automobile manufacturing and have vocational schools preparing for the arrival of and expansion of those industries they believe will benefit China.  

Much of Thailand is still very low or totally unskilled labor.  You will never have a prosperous nation if its citizens earn only subsistence wages.  The future of any country is not having its citizens toil in the rice fields, rubber plantations, or picking vegetables to sell in the world market.  The occupations that pay more require more from the worker.  Prettty simple concept that the government here seems oblivious to. 

[Cake Monster]

Thailand is firmly placed in no mans land at this moment in time.

There is an absolute mass of relatively unskilled workers who work for small wages in the Factories and on the Farms Etc, and to re / up skill people  just will not happen.

These people are slowly being squeezed for their Employment by Countries which are offering the very same, but at a much lower cost base, AI, and Automation

However the Government sees a future of 4.0 Thailand.

The basic Infrastructure to achieve this Government ambition is not in place.

4.0 is only achievable when Schooling, Colleges and Universities are of top quality, and in this Thailand fails miserably.

I see Thailand in maybe 20 Years time , as a Country full of people with no work.

All the Jobs to have been relocated to other Countries due to mainly costs  and lack of skills. In fact, this process is already starting.

Its a sad fact that this will happen, as all the Factory Workers Etc  cannot possibly become Service Engineers, Electricians Etc under the present system of Education and opportunity.

[Alex80]

14 hours ago, webfact said:

shortage of foreign experts

Let me tell you one story.

In 2019 I've started planning the opening of my IT company here in Thailand (I'm Italian). I'm already a partner in a small IT company in Italy and our first idea was to setup a branch in Bangkok. It proved to be not feasible, only big companies with a big investment power can do that.

Than we looked at the BOI system, and again it wasn't only expensive, it was also a big headache.

There is no way to start a new startup for a foreigner. So I took a job here, and even then getting a smart visa took over a month, a huge amount of paperwork and was costly (10.000/year) 

This country has the power to attract a lot of people for it's lifestyle more than anything else. There is a huge potential in the expats community that can't take off because the government doesn't want to.

On the contrary big companies are welcome, but they come only if they can squeeze locals to make money

[Mavideol]

14 hours ago, webfact said:

due to an aging society, shortage of foreign experts, underdevelopment, and outdated curricula.

we all know that but Thais maybe not or if they do don't want to admit it as for shortage of foreigners it's Thai's IMO fault with all their visa restrictions, many highly skilled foreigners would more then happy to come and work here if the country IMO drastic laws were revised/readjusted/updated to the current work force to nearby competitive countries... but here Thai's attitude as " we know it all and better then anybody else" make many people do U turn's  and/or look elsewhere

[howlee101]

14 hours ago, RandiRona said:

Make them learn english and technology and not with the discarded waste of teachers from west....Get your own local teacher trained in west on language and science. 

Sadly to say, if a "local teacher" actually had language and science training in the west, they would not be teaching for the low salaries given to teachers.  The mentality of rote learning and "everybody passes" has to change which will take years to overcome....if at all.  Not "shooting the messenger" but your suggestion is not realistic.

[Andycoops]

To obtain skill you need education which Thailand fails at miserably.