Thai university students lack confidence in skills: survey finds

In a survey by JobThai.com covering 10,000 students nationwide, 37 per cent said they needed more training in languages, mainly English, Chinese and Japanese.
A total of 15.6 per cent showed no confidence in their basic skills, for example those involving Microsoft Word or Excel. Some 12.4 per cent were not confident in socialising skills and leadership. About 11.5 per cent doubt their communications skills, including public speaking.
A total of 7.9 per cent are not confident in their skills in getting jobs, including the preparation of application documents, while 6 per cent are concerned about specialised skills such as computer programming and graphic design.
Sangduan Tangthamsatid, founder and chief operating officer of the job-placement website, said many students were still unsure which jobs would suit them best.
“The survey showed a lack of numerous skills among Thai university students. Most of them said they paid more attention to lectures than actual activities that would help them learn from experience and apply this to their work life,” she said.
“This is an urgent issue for all parties, as the skills mentioned here are necessities in the real world and prerequisites of employing organisations.”
The JobThai.com website’s Reach project features online articles on lifestyles and inspiring experiences. Offline activities include Career Ready Guide and Career Ready Boot Camp.
Sangdao Srimuang, a student, said she was not confident in her English skills, particularly in speaking, as well as her computer skills. Like other students who are not majoring in English, she is not used to English pronunciation and other skills. Meanwhile, she learned computer skills mostly by herself and feared that those abilities might not be what future employers required.
“These basic skills should be provided to all, so that no one is at a disadvantage when applying for a job,” she said.
Renuka Raksanit, a human-resources official at a private company, said English had become one of the basic skills that all organisations require because of increasing contacts with foreign companies.
She said that if possible, students should have skills in second and third languages such as Chinese and Japanese, as this would increase their employment chances.
Meanwhile, basic computer skills are a must: Applicants should be familiar with the Microsoft Office suite and the Internet.
“They should be prepared on all fronts and be patient, outspoken and ready to learn new things,” she said.