FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

A human capital project launched to ease unemployment among fresh graduates

A human capital project launched to ease unemployment among fresh graduates

Manpower Group Thailand has taken the lead in a human capital development programme, to increase fresh graduate employment ahead of the activation of the Asean Economic Community.

 

 
Under the Human Capital Development towards the Future Society Project, the workforce solutions company teams up with the Education Department, Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour and leading institutions such as Kasetsart University, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok University, Sripatum University, and Chetupon Commercial College.
The aim is to help students in improving their potential for pursuing a nearing career path, as only 60 per cent of about 300,000 fresh gruduates each year can find jobs. The objectives of this project are threefold: to ensure that these graduates are well-prepared for the work, to supply the labour force which meets the market’s demand, and to prepare Thai labour for the forthcoming ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). It is expected that the Human Capital Development towards the Future Society Project will considerably reduce the rate of unemployment as well as tackle on the oncoming AEC.
Simon Matthews, Country Manager of Manpower Thailand and Middle East, acknowledged that many countries foresee the significance of fresh graduates as they will play a key role in the countries’ development in the future. With proper training, they could meet the requirements of the local and international labour markets. In Thailand, there are various groups of fresh graduates, ranging from vocational sectors, academic education, to professional institutes. Unfortunately, these job seekers lack proper guidelines and adequate access to the target market. 
Matthews foresees that the AEC will transform Thai society in terms of trade, investment and economic ties with neighbours. Hence, the workforce will play an essential factor in stepping into other countries in the future. 
"If we fail to develop an efficient workforce to accommodate the needs of local and international labour market, this may result in the country’s major losses of various business opportunities. In the pilot of the Human Capital Development towards the Future Society Project with our educational allies, I witness a strong preparation in various aspects. I realise that at the present, most Thai students are not yet alerted about the AEC. They are unprepared, lack of awareness for the future situation. Some of them have the idea of this but will make adaptation only when it’s time," Matthews said.
"I am positive that the Human Capital Development towards the Future Society Project will be the gear in the primary system towards the right career path, reducing the process in finding a job, helping the students to prepare themselves for a working society, as well as fulfilling the need of the labour market."
The project will begin with equipping the workforce with the ability to communicate in English, which is set as the working language of ASEAN. Other primary skills include craftsmanship and computational skills whereas secondary skills are human relations, cooperation, and professionalism. 
"Thai graduates must be equipped with these skills (English communication, craftsmanship and computational)  in order to compete with an increased number of fresh graduates from neighbouring countries in anticipation of job hunting in Thailand in the future. The learning paradigm, in the students’ view, is still the pursuit of a degree rather than a process to enhance one’s potential. In the meantime, students from neighbouring countries begin to focus on learning to meet the requirements of the market. The project will thus be a starting point to enhance students’ ability, to improve their knowledge and skills to suit with the market demands, and to prepare themselves for the working society both for current situation and through the opening door of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)", said Simon Matthews, country manager of Manpower Thailand and Middle East, at the launch of "Human Capital Development towards the Future Society Project".
Training sessions and seminars offering tips and tricks as students enter the employment realm will be hed, with guest speakers ranging from academics, experienced individuals from business and industrial sectors, and from human resource department of leading firms in Thailand, to qualified experts who will unlock the key to the future of the AEC. ManpowerGroup will be on the roadshow until the end of the year recruiting students who are graduating this year and heading towards a career path with a variety of job vacancies in participated institutions to choose from.  The group will also discuss about job hunting and giving career advice such as how to present oneself through resume, the search for the job market, interview questions and answers, personality development, and how to succeed. 
"These guidelines will construct a crucial ladder to success that job-seekers need to know as how companies look for a prospective candidate,” said Suthida Kanjanakantikul, marketing manager at ManpowerGroup Thailand.
According to the past surveys conducted by the ManpowerGroup, it is evident that there is an imbalance between the demand and supply in the labour market. This is due to the fact that the current market is in greater demand for semi-skilled workers than skilled workers. This refers to those with high school, vocational, and high vocational certificates with labour demand for each year of approximately 100,000 workers or 33 percent of those annual 300,000 vocational graduates. The skilled labours with a bachelor’s degree and with a higher education which are the biggest group of graduates are also facing with more unemployment. This is due to the failure to meet with the market needs, the eternal search for the right job, and blind perception of the actual requirements of the hiring companies. Every year, there are approximately 100,000 unemployed individuals, which is 40 percent of the 200,000 - 300,000 bachelor graduates. In the future, these skilled labours may be shifted to an international arena in the Middle Management level. The Human Capital Development towards the Future Society Project will be a major turning for the new generation of students and the graduates in the future, and also will reduce the unemployment in response to the arrival of AEC.
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