Thailand aims to produce around 800,000 skilled workers next year in targeted industries, including intelligent electronics, next-generation automobiles and healthcare.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon chaired a meeting of the national workers' skill development committee at the Five Provinces Bordering Forest Preservation Foundation on Friday to discuss incentives to develop more skilled workers.
The meeting agreed to draft a skilled worker development plan which will be executed by provincial organisations to create 12.5 million skilled workers by 2027.
Provincial governors have been assigned to draft development plans to create more skilled labour in 11 targeted industries.
Four of the 11 industries have finalised their desired number of workers: 24,500 people in next-generation automotive services, 713,432 in digital services, 357,300 in processed food, and 298,100 for Thailand's medical hub.
Provinces will be offering students in local schools and colleges the chance to join skills training and worker development programmes based on local demand. Gen Prawit said prisoners would also be included in the training.
Skills development training at the provincial level will lessen the chances of workers wanting to migrate to cities and will also improve the lives of local people, he said.
Gen Prawit said the public and private sectors must collaborate to create more skilled labour to meet the demands of growing industries.
He added that the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and the Department of Skill Development should join hands to foster new jobbers.
Meanwhile, Job Expo Thailand 2023, which started on Thursday and ends on Saturday, saw large numbers of job-seekers. It is being held at Event Halls 100-102, Bitec Bang Na, organised by the Ministry of Labour and private companies.
The expo offers job opportunities for new graduates, senior citizens and people with disabilities. With over 29,000 positions in the private sector and 81,000 offered by recruitment companies, people can seek jobs in real estate, communications, manufacturing, finance, insurance, sales, construction, health and academia.
Nawaporn Rod-iam, 23, said she is a finance graduate working at a private company who is looking for a new job with higher pay that will also allow her to gain more skills.