Bangkok, September 19, 2023 – In a significant move to bolster Thailand’s tourism industry, Minister of Labor, Mr. Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, engaged in discussions with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pathamawadi Pochanukul, Director of the Science Promotion Office Research and Innovation (NRCT), and a delegation. The primary agenda was to explore strategies for enhancing the skill sets of workers aiming to join the tourism business sector. The meeting, held at the Chatumongkol Room on the 6th Floor of the Ministry of Labor Building, marked an essential step towards fostering highly skilled labor in Thailand.
Minister Pipat emphasized the government’s commitment, led by Prime Minister Mr. Settha Thavisin and Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, to accelerate labor force development to drive economic recovery, especially in booming sectors like tourism and services. He commended the NRCT, an agency under the Ministry of Science and Technology, for their initiative in addressing this critical need and allocating funds to support essential groundwork within the Ministry of Labor.
Furthermore, Minister Pipat highlighted that this collaborative effort aligns with the directives of Deputy Prime Minister Anutin, who has called for cooperation among four key ministries: Interior, Education, Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, and Labor. These ministries are determined to play a pivotal role in boosting the country’s economic foundation, with the Ministry of Labor taking center stage in nurturing skilled workers. The Department of Skill Development’s National Labor Development and Vocational Training Coordination Committee (NDOC) emerged as a crucial mechanism for local-level labor force development. This meeting aimed to foster cooperation in curriculum development to produce skilled personnel meeting the demands of the tourism and related industries.
“In discussions with the Thai Chamber of Commerce, we’ve acknowledged that Thai citizens possess skills on par with any nation globally. Nevertheless, we must expedite labor force production, particularly for our own citizens, to replenish the tourism sector’s workforce and maintain a favorable trade balance. The NRCT possesses the potential to design courses that can support labor production in the tourism sector,” remarked Mr. Pipat in conclusion.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pathamawadi Pochanukul, Director of the Science Promotion Office, Research and Innovation (NRCT), shed light on the agenda of the meeting. The discussions revolved around three key issues: supporting policy research to develop a highly skilled tourism workforce, upskilling and reskilling students to enhance their capabilities before entering the labor market, and providing guidance for enhancing the industrial sector’s workforce potential through technology and innovation. The NRCT pledged to continue closely coordinating such cooperation with the Ministry of Labor to achieve these objectives.
Source: Ministry News
