On November 23, 2022, the Labour Minister, Mr. Suchart Chomklin, visited and encouraged trainees in the petroleum industry’s labour competency enhancement project to drive the economy and restore relations with Saudi Arabia. The Department of Skill Development’s Director-General, Mr. Prateep Songlamyong, Managing Director of MPC Future Co., Ltd., Mr. Nipatsin Yimyam, the Ministry of Labour’s senior executives, heads from government agencies under the Ministry of Labour in Songkhla Province and trainees, joined the welcoming at MPC Future Co., Ltd., Songkhla Province.
Mr. Suchart said that the government, under the leadership of the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, gives importance to and has a policy to continuously push for international labour cooperation. On January 25 – 26, 2022, he visited Saudi Arabia to restore relations, negotiate, and discuss opportunities for Thai workers to travel to work in Saudi Arabia, which was well received. Saudi Arabia requires over eight million foreign workers. On November 18, 2022, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud visited Thailand for the APEC 2022 meetings and discussed the labour issue. From the discussions between Thailand and Saudi Arabia, both parties were pleased to conclude agreements and Memorandums of Understandings essential to promoting economic cooperation, especially in labour, together with other collaborations. Therefore, it is an opportunity for Thai workers who wish to travel to work abroad. The Ministry of Labour has accelerated cooperation by signing an agreement on the delivery of labour. The Department of Skills Development has been assigned to promote the competency of Thai workers to have skill standards consistent with the occupations required by employers in Saudi Arabia. This project has produced successful outcomes, restoring Thai and Saudi relations, which have begun to see continued success. Labour cooperation is another dimension that clearly shows progress. This is a result of the continuous push by the government and relevant agencies. Implementing this project will increase job opportunities for Thai workers and help raise the competency of Thai workers to meet the needs of entrepreneurs, increasing the country’s competitiveness. It will further drive the delivery of skilled and semi-skilled workers into the employment system, domestically and internationally, and extend to other cooperation. Therefore, he asked everyone to pay attention to the training to gain real skills and knowledge to work in the petroleum field, domestically and internationally.
The Department of Skill Development’s Director-General, Mr. Prateep Songlamyong, said that the petroleum industry’s labour competency enhancement project to drive the economy and restore relations with Saudi Arabia aims to develop the potential and prepare Thai workers before going to work abroad. It focuses on developing the potential of labour skills and foreign languages to increase the ability to pursue a career in positions that the international labour market demands. It is an administrative strategy to expand the new labour market in various occupations that Thai workers have the ability and are in demand for in the foreign labour market. The training began on September 25, 2022, with a training duration of 144 hours. The training covers the fundamentals of oil and natural gas production, working safety in drilling rigs, knowledge and techniques for working, and basic knowledge of living abroad. To date, one batch has completed the training. It is currently in the process of training for the second and third batches and the fourth and fifth to follow.
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Division of Public Relations
23 November 2022
