The Deputy Labour Minister accelerated the manpower development plan to support the S-Curve target industries, ready to cooperate with all sectors to move forward in full force to drive the Thai economy.
On October 8, 2020, Deputy Labour Minister Prof. Narumon Pinyosinwat presided over the workforce development plan to support the S-Curve target industries. The Department of Skill Development’s Director-General Mr. Tawat Benchatikul, the Ministry of Labour’s executives, and representatives from both 11 public and private agencies joined the meeting. This included the Office of the National Economic and Social Development, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Public Health, the Office of the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee, the Office of the Board of Investment, the Vocational Education Committee, the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Thai Industries and the Thailand Professional Qualification Institute (Public Organization). The meeting took place at the Pakorn Angsusingh meeting room, 10th floor, Department of Skill Development.
Prof. Narumon said the Ministry of Labour had set three directions for developing the country’s workforce, namely “create, elevate and give,” by creating quality workers equipped with knowledge and skills according to the needs of the labour market. It aims to raise the standard of workmanship to support higher wages and provide workers in socially vulnerable groups, such as the disabled, low-income workers, women workers, and the elderly, to have equal opportunities to develop their skills to increase their career opportunities. At present, Thailand is facing increasing unemployment amid the economic recession, the Covid-19 outbreak, and rapidly changing technology. Therefore, the government sector must use the operating mechanism of the National Labour Development and Vocational Training Coordination Committee to jointly plan for the development of manpower and match with appropriate jobs. This will allow Thai workers to create jobs, boosting the Thai economy, and promoting the society to move forward in the new normal, with new technologies.
The Deputy Labour Minister added that to provide the development of manpower in line with industrial needs, the Ministry of Labour has established a joint sub-committee between the relevant departments to be responsible for setting up an action plan for labour development and to coordinate with the target S-curve industries, working with the relevant departments to follow up and evaluate efforts. Therefore, it has prepared a draft to appoint a subcommittee, with Permanent Secretary of Labour Mr. Suthi Sukosol as the chairman, and relevant departments as a working group. The group will work together to eliminate the problem of unemployment and formulate solutions to problems and obstacles related to the country’s workforce development in the target S-Curve industries. When approved by this meeting, it will propose the National Labour Development and Vocational Training Coordination Committee for further consideration, which has General Prawit Wongsuwan as chairman.
“Establishing a subcommittee to drive some industries, such as the digital industry, logistics industry, and agricultural industry, are industries that can start the drive first. I ask that the joint subcommittee collect all relevant information to guide decision making, especially looking at the readiness and impacts on the country’s long-term plans, both in terms of the workforce and the overall economy. After that, the subcommittees in other industries can formulate plans in the next order, which must be presented to the next meeting of the National Labour Development and Vocational Training Coordination Committee. I ask that this joint subcommittee work together to determine the best development plan for the nation, to be presented to the National Labour Development and Vocational Training Coordination Committee,” concluded the Deputy Labour Minister.
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Division of Public Relations
8 October 2020
