On November 23, 2021, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin paid a visit and gave a speech to the first class of trainees participating in training to enhance their skills in food and nutrition management onboard. The occasion took place at the Training Room on the second floor, Labour College building, Department of Skill Development, Bangkok. Secretariat to the Labour Minister Mr. Suthep Chitayawong, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics), Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, Permanent Secretary of Labour Mr. Boonchob Suttamanaswong, the Department of Skills Development’s Director-General Mr. Prateep Songlamyong, and the Ministry of Labour’s executives also joined the occasion. Mr. Suchart said that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayut Chan-ocha and the Ministry of Labour under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan has the policy to promote the Thai workforce to strictly comply with the requirements and laws of Thai and international laws. This is to ensure the workforce is not at a disadvantage and to showcase the full potential of Thai workers. The effort aims to create opportunities and maintain jobs for Thai people, especially those in foreign markets. The maritime business is a key part of the logistics industry that generates revenue for the nation. However, maritime businesses must comply with international laws or conventions too. Due to the COVID-19 situation, marine businesses came to a standstill. At present, the situation has improved, and there are positive signs with both the country’s opening policy and the vaccination population statistics. As a result, the business sector is preparing to move forward. Many companies lack legally permitted cooks on board. Therefore, he assigned the Department of Skill Development as an agency under the Marine Labour Act to provide training courses in food and nutrition management onboard to promote seafarers to become cooks on ships. It complies with the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) 2006 Maritime Convention and the 2015 Maritime Labour Act, which requires members to pass this training course from an agency accredited by the Department of Skill Development. Trainees can pursue careers in marine and international shipping vessels. The position of cooks on ships is a preferred profession among marine vessels such as cruise ships, warships, fishing boats, hydrographic survey ships, dredgers, and international ships.
The Department of Skills Development’s Director-General, Mr. Prateep Songlamyong, said that this training was organized before first before being extended throughout the country. It is operated by the Bangkok Skill Development Institute 13; one of the 15 departments under the Department of Skill Development assigned as a training facility for seafarers. There are six training batches. The first batch has 23 employees sent by their workplaces for training. The training topics included basic seafarer knowledge, occupational safety and health in practice, personal hygiene and food cooking skills, food poisoning prevention, kitchen management and supervision, kitchen waste management, and religious and cultural perspectives. The training duration is 42 hours and will take place from November 22 to 27, 2021. The food and nutrition management course onboard will help workers to work legally. It also plays an important role in developing skills, knowledge, and abilities to promote positive personalities for working on marine vessels. The training also ensures the correct use of equipment and tools for proper operation and maintenance. It also encourages a positive attitude towards occupation and work, thus playing an important role in strengthening the Thai maritime business and the overall economy.
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Division of Public Relations
23 November 2021
