Thai Education Ministry aims to revamp vocational education

[webfact]

Ministry aims to revamp vocational education
Patcharee Luenguthai
The Nation


Vocational students learn skills in the workplace.

BANGKOK: -- The Education Ministry has initiated a mechanism to develop the vocational workforce in 10 skill clusters through a dual educational system providing both academic training and work experience.

Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang, who chairs the Public and Private Participation Committee for Vocational Education Development, said the panel would this month establish a subcommittee for each cluster. They are automobiles and parts, moulds, energy, food, tourism, gems and jewellery, construction, electricity and electronics, logistics, and information and communications technology.

The committee will require each cluster to start an action plan including English-language training.

However, the Federation of Thai Industries noted that the petrochemical and garment clusters were also facing a lack of skilled workers. The FTI also suggested that experts in personnel development and curriculum reform be appointed for each cluster.

Chaturon said: "The establishment of the Public and Private Participation Committee for Vocational Education Development is regarded as a national collaboration to set up a national plan for both supply and qualification [of vocational workers]. Previously, there was [only] collaboration between vocational institutes and manufacturers to serve demand in some local areas."

He explained that each cluster would be responsible for surveying and assessing demand for a skilled workforce, designing a new curriculum to meet the demand of enterprises, and evaluating income and incentives for students who obtain the professional certificate (Por Vor Chor) and high professional certificate (Por Vor Sor).

Meanwhile, the Office of the Vocational Education Commission has to accelerate efforts to increase the number of vocational students at both levels. The commission will encourage more Mathayom 3 (Grade 9) students to study in vocational fields through various campaigns including study guidance, inspiration, scholarships and social-value creation.

"To encourage students to be more interested in vocational studies, we have to assure parents that the students will have a great chance to get the jobs and career paths," said Chaturon.

Piyaman Tejapaibul, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), said the subcommittee on the tourism cluster needed to produce personnel urgently. It is estimated that the number of foreign tourists to Thailand next year will increase to 28 million, and to 30 million in 2015. Moreover, it is essential to develop tourism personnel's capabilities in preparation for the Asean Economic Community.

Initially, the tourism subcommittee will focus on three areas for designing the central curriculum. Teachers will get direct experience in the tourism industry; a dual vocational-education system will be provided, that is, including actual work experience; and both academic and basic technical skills will be stressed.

In the long-term plan, the subcommittee will run campaigns to promote tourism professions among students at the primary, secondary and vocational levels.

Isara Vongkusolkit, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that the private sector must participate in the development of vocational education. Each cluster has to set benchmarks and compare them with international standards. In addition, each cluster has to consider how to enhance the teachers' standards.

Thavorn Chalassathien, acting secretary-general of the FTI, said it was estimated that over the next five years, 16 clusters under the federation would need at least 300,000 skilled workers. Besides inadequate numbers of vocational students, major subjects of the vocational-education system are not in compliance with the needs of operators.

In addition to the establishment of Public and Private Participation Committee, the Vocational Education Commission has created a scholarship scheme as another urgent measure to increase the number of vocational students.

Chaiyapruek Serirak, secretary-general of Ovec, said the scheme had been designed to help Grade 9 students with a grade point average over 2.70, with good manners, and from poor families to study for professional and high professional certificates.

State enterprises and the private sector will be encouraged to participate in the scheme by granting a scholarship for five years worth Bt20,000 per student per year. The commission expects that about 10,000 students will get the scholarships each year.


-- The Nation 2013-11-04

[worgeordie]

Cluster ,I thought it was all Hubs here

regards Worgeordie

[khaowong1]

So, they say they will need 300,000 skilled workers a year to fill the job requirements. How many students do they have in these Voc. schools?

Awarding 10,000 students a year with a scholarship ain't going to get the job done.

[NongKhaiKid]

Changes, improvement and now a revamp of eduction, heard it all before.

This is another topic that falls into the ' believe it when it happens ' category.

[Artisi]

The first skill that should be taught looking at the caption photo, is no loose tie or shirts hanging out near operation machinery - a disaster waiting to happen.

[allan michaud]

So they will be adding weapons training to the curriculum?

[nong38]

Now then where shall we start? Got to keep the Mantras in, most important, now a new subject, how to make soup, another one how to cross the road in safety or how to be aware of what is going on around me. The list can go on but what about the kids does anyone ask them what they would like to do when they leave school/college etc? Perhaps it would be a start to get employers in to talk to them about possibilities, talk to the education people, dont expect anything to happen of course becausre the current system works so well, look 100% successs rate! Why does not the employers make things that suit the Thai economy that would solve all the problems. Lets call it Thainess.

[SICHONSTEVE]

I for one, applaud this!! This is about the ONLY sensible thing that this government has initiated.

It just makes so much sense to do this as surely teaching someone car mechanics or construction (the right and SAFE way) has got to be better than studying 'the history of Thai art' as it has a practical outcome that should lead to a job in the future.

Of course, as with all of these things, it has got to be done correctly and there is no guarantee that it will be, but at least give praise when it is due and we will see how this scheme pans out.

Well done minister!!!

[Artisi]

Having taught for a number of years in the Thai university system, I can assure you that a vast majority of university students shouldn't be at university, they would be streets ahead in a vocational college learning something useful to themselves and the community in general. The perceived need to be university educated is out of control, it is a useless concept that needs to be addressed and over-turned and the kids given sound advice and direction for the betterment of all, this includes the parents at the lower end of the socio-economic ladder, some who have to put themselves so far into debt they will never surface again and for what - so, their kids can get a useless degree of no value in the real world and end up back on the farm, or in Macca's or 7/11 or some other mundane job as they are not qualified for anything useful.

It used to be so saddening to see some of these kids trying to survive at university level (very low standard anyway) and also knowing some of their parents were so far in debt trying to do the right thing for their kids who were going to be unemployable if they ever graduated anyway.

End of rant.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Artisi

[SICHONSTEVE]

Having taught for a number of years in the Thai university system, I can assure you that a vast majority of university students shouldn't be at university, they would be streets ahead in a vocational college learning something useful to themselves and the community in general. The perceived need to be university educated is out of control, it is a useless concept that needs to be addressed and over-turned and the kids given sound advice and direction for the betterment of all, this includes the parents at the lower end of the socio-economic ladder, some who have to put themselves so far into debt they will never surface again and for what - so, their kids can get a useless degree of no value in the real world and end up back on the farm, or in Macca's or 7/11 or some other mundane job as they are not qualified for anything useful.

It used to be so saddening to see some of these kids trying to survive at university level (very low standard anyway) and also knowing some of their parents were so far in debt trying to do the right thing for their kids who were going to be unemployable if they ever graduated anyway.

End of rant.

No need to call it a rant - just common sense advice into what the current situation is (all around the world may I just add)!!

I have no time at all when someone does a degree in Star Trek or the history of Maori tree drawings from 1823 - 1976 as what hope does that offer up in the way of job prospects?

I think your posting is spot on as to what is wrong with education systems globally and this minister, if he is successful, will improve the Thai education system, no end!!

What's more, it is coming from an insider that can see the shortcomings, so none of these retorts saying " what do you know about this" . or "who are you to comment".

[Artisi]

Having taught for a number of years in the Thai university system, I can assure you that a vast majority of university students shouldn't be at university, they would be streets ahead in a vocational college learning something useful to themselves and the community in general. The perceived need to be university educated is out of control, it is a useless concept that needs to be addressed and over-turned and the kids given sound advice and direction for the betterment of all, this includes the parents at the lower end of the socio-economic ladder, some who have to put themselves so far into debt they will never surface again and for what - so, their kids can get a useless degree of no value in the real world and end up back on the farm, or in Macca's or 7/11 or some other mundane job as they are not qualified for anything useful.

It used to be so saddening to see some of these kids trying to survive at university level (very low standard anyway) and also knowing some of their parents were so far in debt trying to do the right thing for their kids who were going to be unemployable if they ever graduated anyway.

End of rant.

No need to call it a rant - just common sense advice into what the current situation is (all around the world may I just add)!!

I have no time at all when someone does a degree in Star Trek or the history of Maori tree drawings from 1823 - 1976 as what hope does that offer up in the way of job prospects?

I think your posting is spot on as to what is wrong with education systems globally and this minister, if he is successful, will improve the Thai education system, no end!!

What's more, it is coming from an insider that can see the shortcomings, so none of these retorts saying " what do you know about this" . or "who are you to comment".

It can't happen soon enough, ever if started in earnest today it will years to turn it around.

Actually it is slowly happening, my significant other has lectured at and been involved in quite a number of government sponsored education seminars on English teaching techniques over the past 12 months - small steps along the way to a change - but a long way to go yet.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Having taught for a number of years in the Thai university system, I can assure you that a vast majority of university students shouldn't be at university, they would be streets ahead in a vocational college learning something useful to themselves and the community in general. The perceived need to be university educated is out of control, it is a useless concept that needs to be addressed and over-turned and the kids given sound advice and direction for the betterment of all, this includes the parents at the lower end of the socio-economic ladder, some who have to put themselves so far into debt they will never surface again and for what - so, their kids can get a useless degree of no value in the real world and end up back on the farm, or in Macca's or 7/11 or some other mundane job as they are not qualified for anything useful.

It used to be so saddening to see some of these kids trying to survive at university level (very low standard anyway) and also knowing some of their parents were so far in debt trying to do the right thing for their kids who were going to be unemployable if they ever graduated anyway.

End of rant.

No need to call it a rant - just common sense advice into what the current situation is (all around the world may I just add)!!

I have no time at all when someone does a degree in Star Trek or the history of Maori tree drawings from 1823 - 1976 as what hope does that offer up in the way of job prospects?

I think your posting is spot on as to what is wrong with education systems globally and this minister, if he is successful, will improve the Thai education system, no end!!

What's more, it is coming from an insider that can see the shortcomings, so none of these retorts saying " what do you know about this" . or "who are you to comment".

It can't happen soon enough, ever if started in earnest today it will years to turn it around.

Actually it is slowly happening, my significant other has lectured at and been involved in quite a number of government sponsored education seminars on English teaching techniques over the past 12 months - small steps along the way to a change - but a long way to go yet.

Agreed,

At least this government has one minister who has the foresight to see the problem and will hopefully go some way to achieving at least a limited success in his stated objective. As for the others..........I will stop there as if you think your previous posting was a rant, you don't know what a rant is until I go into one, mine can be the 'mother of all rants', believe me!!!!! .