The Ministry of Education aims to recruit 30,000-plus retirees to volunteer in a new programme designed to assist others, including elderly people who need help with life-long education and occupational training.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha marked the beginning of the volunteer registration process by applying to become an education volunteer himself when Education Minister Treenuch Thienthong led a team from the programme to visit Government House on Tuesday to promote the activity.
The education volunteer programme has been created to help people cope with the impact of Thailand's ageing society which could become a major problem for the country, said Ms Treenuch.
Retirees interested in joining the programme can register online at volunteers.moe.go.th or www.moe.go.th from now until Feb 26.
At this stage, the programme -- whose slogan is "Create jobs, generate income and build more value" -- will be first implemented between three months and six months from now, the minister said.
Among the retirees expected to apply for this volunteer opportunity are retired school teachers who still want to contribute as educators for the betterment of society, Ms Treenuch said.
After education volunteers register, applicants will be separated into two major groups. One group will work to support the formal education system, while the other is for those who will transfer their knowledge and experience to help people of all ages keep learning new knowledge and skills, create jobs and generate income, said the minister.
In the programme's next phase, the ministry expects to cooperate with several private companies in training and supporting elderly people to assist them in finding suitable work, Ms Treenuch added.