Students Needed To Clean Air Conditioners At Thai Govt Agencies

[webfact]

Students needed to clean air conditioners

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Vocational students will help the country save electricity by helping to clean 8,000 air conditioners at government agencies in 76 provinces.

The Vocational Education Commission and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) last week signed an agreement to run this project.

Sombat Saengsawangsajjakul, deputy secretarygeneral of the agency, said it wants the students to practice their skills and offer assistance to help the nation reduce energy consumption.

The agency has assigned 76 vocational schools in 76 provinces to clean airconditioners at government offices, including hospitals and city halls in those provinces, while Egat will provide the funds to operate this project.

Cleaning airconditioners every six months can decrease electricity consumption by 10 per cent.

Thailand has 7 million air conditioners and if all of them are cleaned, it will save 2 billion units of electricity or Bt6 billion and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1 million tonnes per year.

-- The Nation 2012-04-02

[BookMan]

Nothing like a bit of free labour to get the job done

I guess the paid cleaners who are already at these government facilities must be overworked.

[whybother]

Nothing like a bit of free labour to get the job done

I guess the paid cleaners who are already at these government facilities must be overworked.

The government don't want to pay the newly increased minimum wage.

[pipo1000]

Thailand has 7 million air conditioners and if all of them are cleaned, it will save 2 billion units of electricity or Bt6 billion and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1 million tonnes per year.

Is that taken in account those aircon that will not function anymore an need to be replaced after all those unexperienced children had their time with the aircons?

Oops,got it..................broken aircons don't use any electricity at all.

[AZBill]

Thailand has 7 million air conditioners and if all of them are cleaned, it will save 2 billion units of electricity or Bt6 billion and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1 million tonnes per year.

Is that taken in account those aircon that will not function anymore an need to be replaced after all those unexperienced children had their time with the aircons?

Oops,got it..................broken aircons don't use any electricity at all.

Better keep the ones they got working or they'll be paying a hefty tax on the new ones!

[hkt83100]

So the students in Bueng Karn don't have to work as slaves... sound as if this came out one day too late :-)

[saengsureeya]

Nothing like a bit of free labour to get the job done

I guess the paid cleaners who are already at these government facilities must be overworked.

The government don't want to pay the newly increased minimum wage.

[Paul1Kanya]

ya know, My first reaction was oh yeah, free labour (students) and a nice little earner for the school heads. On further consideration my thoughts remain the same.

dam_n liberty, students are in school for learning not labouring and don't tell me about work experience, total b**ll*%ks!

Paul 1.

[Pib]

The article didn't say whether the students would be paid or not but I expect its free labor under the banner of public service. Nothing complicated about cleaning most air coniditioners; it's basically just simple labor and possibly getting a little dirty. When it comes to cleaning the large outside condenser units I expect that will be pretty much a "water hose it down affair." But a person can't argue that a clean air con saves energy (and runs cooler).

[WhizBang]

<deleted>?

Does the government not employ maintainence people for this kind of work?

Students go to school to LEARN. Not to provide free labor to fat greedy government types.

[Payboy]

Thailand has 7 million air conditioners

That figure seems to be underestimated.

[maeab]

<deleted>?

Does the government not employ maintainence people for this kind of work?

Students go to school to LEARN. Not to provide free labor to fat greedy government types.

This is good it will get them ready for there job a 7/11

[thaicbr]

Vocational schools in Thailand are like technical colleges back in the UK. the students are learning a trade. so I presume that it will be the Air conditioning service guys doing it. but I may be wrong.

[LuckyLew]

Surprised the government does not charge the students

as the students are gaining such great work experience

[soi41]

I for one, think it is an excellent idea. Most countries in Europe have a couple of weeks workplace-training, where the students try their skills in a choosen workplace. Non paid. It gives the young Thais a change to test their abilities and be part of society and show some much needed responsibility (saving energy). As it not rocketscience, I am sure that the students under supervision from either teachers or people doing cleaning now, will do an excellent job. BTW vocational students here do normally not end up working in 7/11, most of them end up in the autoindustry on quite good salaries.

[KIWIBATCH]

........so Sombat the Deputy Secretary wants "the students to practice their skills".....what skills?......(note to self..when I teach my students I must include a lesson on "cleaning aircon units")

A. Get bucket put in water

B. Get ladder

C Take a break and eat food, check Blackberry for new messages

C. Climb ladder

D. Clean aircon unit

E. Take a break, eat food, check Blackberry for new messages

etc etc etc

[bigbamboo]

I for one, think it is an excellent idea. Most countries in Europe have a couple of weeks workplace-training, where the students try their skills in a choosen workplace. Non paid. It gives the young Thais a change to test their abilities and be part of society and show some much needed responsibility (saving energy). As it not rocketscience, I am sure that the students under supervision from either teachers or people doing cleaning now, will do an excellent job. BTW vocational students here do normally not end up working in 7/11, most of them end up in the autoindustry on quite good salaries.

(With apologies to Dylan)...... 'twenty years of schooling and they put you on the air con cleaning day shift'....!

What about all those government officials at inactive posts........surely they'd appreciate doing something for a change?

[baboon]

<deleted>?

Does the government not employ maintainence people for this kind of work?

Students go to school to LEARN.  Not to provide free labor to fat greedy government types.

Hear Hear!

[allan michaud]

8,000 in 76 provinces.... So the gov has an average of 105 air con units in each province which need cleaning. Urrrrmmm!

These people could not organise the proverbial booze up in a brewery.

[Fuzail]

LuckyLew : Surprised the government does not charge the students

as the students are gaining such great work experience

Really i am surprised also i agree with LeckyLew how come they don't charge oh wait a minute because

its not foreigner company etc, but still good campaign

[TPI]

I for one, think it is an excellent idea. Most countries in Europe have a couple of weeks workplace-training, where the students try their skills in a choosen workplace. Non paid. It gives the young Thais a change to test their abilities and be part of society and show some much needed responsibility (saving energy). As it not rocketscience, I am sure that the students under supervision from either teachers or people doing cleaning now, will do an excellent job. BTW vocational students here do normally not end up working in 7/11, most of them end up in the autoindustry on quite good salaries.

(With apologies to Dylan)...... 'twenty years of schooling and they put you on the air con cleaning day shift'....!

What about all those government officials at inactive posts........surely they'd appreciate doing something for a change?

Now that's the best comment in weeks...those poor people sitting in the building hawkers center drinking coffee and reading a newspaper, it's the only thing these "inactive ones" are good at...doing nothing!

[IMA_FARANG]

Work-study programs are a regular part of technical training worldwide.

When used properly they provide valuable real-world experience for students.

Yes, I know what you're thinking...but I did say :"used properly", didn't I?

Back in the U.S.,after I left the Army about 1974 I was offered a chance at a "work-study" program with a large IT company through a local university in Massachusetts.

Gaurenteed job as long I passed the work-study course...although that job would have been at an entry level.

I was going to accept, but then I was offered a better paying job as a communications/electronics repair technician overseas.

That job was what ultimately brought me to Thailand 5 years later, where I first met my future wife.

So it goes.

[ginjag]

A young Thai male having to leave school early, due to money-parental problems is NOT given his school leaving paper that enables him to secure work.  After a few years he applies to the town education program and has to sign on for 2 years and do cleaning work -community work and SOMETIMES go to the education building to sign in to say he is still around. this has to go it's full 2 years, then is tested, in passing he will receive his school paper, if not waits to re test.  He is computer literate Thai/English and spoken. Certificate on traditional Thai massage, Issan food cook, sports -athlete, driving license, This education experience is similar to this topic,  using education labour on the cheap.  Amazing.

[Nigel1500]

Cleaning air conditioners is specialised work, not the job of students. Without proper training and equipment the cleaning process can pose a serious risk to humans and the environment.

BTW ... the "unit" of measure of electricity in the metric world is the kilowatt/hour ... any competent journalist would know that !!!

[Payboy]

Cleaning air conditioners is specialised work, not the job of students. Without proper training and equipment the cleaning process can pose a serious risk to humans and the environment.

Don't see how they could do much worse than most "qualified professionals" here.

[kamalabob2]

Let us pray they teach the students to turn off the electric breaker that controls any a/c unit they clean. In my observation it is not an easy task to clean the inside unit of the split system a/c units. Hope they give them proper "drip trays" with some sort of padding so they do not mark up the walls of the various Government buildings as they clean the inside units.