New govt committee to study country's labour shortage issues
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As a large workforce is needed to drive the government's mega-projects and the country's growing industrial sector, the authorities have started working on the output of workers to keep pace with the rising demand, Prof Pavich Tongroach, adviser to the ed
An ad hoc committee is being formed to improve the quality and quantity of workers, Pavich told The Nation after a meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and relevant agencies. It is believed that Pavich will chair the committee.
Yesterday’s meeting, which was hosted by the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), focused on education as well as manpower production and development.
“Some 500,000 workers are expected to be hired for the government’s Bt2-trillion infrastructure projects and about 100,000 for its Bt350-billion water-management projects,” he said. “Also, other industries, such as automobiles, are growing fast.”
Thailand has been facing a shortage of quality workers, especially in the scientific and technical fields.
“The prime minister is concerned about the quality and quantity of manpower as they do not meet the industry’s demand,” Pavich said.
Hence, he added, the committee’s urgent mission was to study the country’s workforce demand and set up a production plan that corresponds to the immediate demands. Its long-term mission would focus on the education system, ensuring that it produces a quality workforce.
Pavich said officials from the Higher Education Commission, Vocational Education Commission, Basic Education Commission, NESDB, and the Transport and Industry ministries would work together in the committee to look into the country’s demand for labour and supply.
“Next month, the committee will hold a meeting with the PM and show her how demand and supply of the workforce can be matched,” he said. “We should separate students and workers into technological and non-technological groups and make the data updated and accurate.”
