Bleak Expectations: Govt urged to open doors for 1.3 million at-risk youths

Fund director Kraiyos Patrawart took the figure from a recent study by the Thailand Development Research Institute. The study refers to young people between 15 and 24 who are not enrolled in any educational, employment, or training system.

These youths are an underutilised human resource, the EEF said.

"We must find and bring these young people back into the system for development, whether studying in or outside the work system or self-improvement according to the appropriate approach," Kraiyos said.

According to the study, the 1.3 million young people comprise 10% of the taxable population and 14% of total Thai youth. 

Furthermore, their number is expanding at a 1% annual growth rate, despite the fact that the number of people in this age bracket has declined by 1.2% over the last decade.

Young women comprise 65% of the 1.3 million figure and the main reason they are in the group is that many dropped out of school due to pregnancy.

About 8% of 1.3 million youths comprise housewives who have only completed high school.

According to Unesco, if these out-of-school youths are not brought back into the educational system, the economy will lose 330 billion baht per year, or 3% of total gross domestic product.

Kraiyos noted that Thailand’s education system deteriorated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, because the population is aging, Thailand cannot afford to allow a single young person to fall behind in development.

"We have to find a way to help them now for future positive changes in Thai society," he said.

He urged the government to broaden access to quality education and diversify educational options, citing a study that found that more than 16.1 million people in the working-age population (15 years and older) have only a junior high school diploma or less.

Although this generation can complete compulsory education, the majority of its members remain informal workers with insufficient skill sets for the job market.

They will experience income insecurity and the lack of social protection for the rest of their lives, Kraiyos said.

"This group of workers needs to be developed from unskilled to skilled workers, which is a worthwhile investment for the country, " he said, explaining they have the potential to generate more national growth, increase tax collection, and help Thailand escape the middle-income trap.

As the rise of digital technology creates a new model of working, Thailand must conduct an urgent review and develop a concrete action plan to increase the competitiveness of Thai youths, Kraiyos said.

The EEF is working with the World Bank, Thammasat University, and the National Statistical Office to develop policy recommendations for human-capital development in Thailand as part of the "Adult Skills Assessment in Thailand" study.

The study is Thailand's first survey of the skills and readiness of the young working-age population (16-24 years). It aims to assess their lifelong learning, working, and social-emotional skills.

The study is expected to deliver valuable information to formulate policies and strategies to develop and upgrade skills to meet the needs of the labour market.

The study's findings are expected to be released in the middle of this year.