Thailand urgently needs to develop language and IT skills as well as
establish a career standard to ensure the competitiveness of professional
workers ahead of the free flow of labour under the Asean Economic Community, a
seminar heard yesterday.
At the "7+1professional
careers heading Thailand into the AEC" event, organised by the
International Institute of Trade and Development (ITD), panellists said Thai
workers were quite weak in English language skills and information technology
when compared with their counterparts in other Asean countries.
Agencies therefore need to
rapidly prepare professionals to develop their English and IT skills so that
their careers are as secure as possible in light of liberalisation of the
movement of workers under the AEC, they said.
In 2015, Asean member states are
committed under a Mutual Recognition Arrangement to allowing the free flow of
workers in a number of key professions. The professions covered by the pact are
doctors, dentists, nurses, engineers, architects, accountants, surveyors and
workers in the hospitality sector.
Asean professionals in these
areas will be able to work in another Asean country providing they meet career
certification and work permit requirements in each target country.
ITD executive director Watcharas
Leelawath said the development of language skills, and communication in English
in particular, was essential for Thai workers in preparation for Asean
liberalisation.
"Only two years remain
before market integration and the free flow of workers throughout Asean,"
he said.
The government, in cooperation
with private enterprises and agencies, should accelerate human-resources
development plans to ensure that Thai workers can survive when the free
regional movement of labour is permitted," he added.
Wacharas said Thailand had no need
to worry about the free flow of professional workers as long as there was a
clear plan to develop their language skills and encourage them to enhance their
ability in the IT area, as Thai professionals already possessed the required
skills directly relevant to their own fields of expertise.
In fact, he said, Thailand
generally should benefit from the free flow of labour as the country has a
shortage of workers in a number of areas, besides which it will be able to
"export" workers in some fields to work elsewhere in Asean.
Banjongjitt Angsusingh, director
of the Trade Negotiation Department's Bureau of Trade Services and Investment,
said the professions should have a clear career standard to ensure the
competitiveness of Thai workers ahead of the AEC's implementation, as this
would minimise the risk of local workers losing their jobs to those from other
countries.
Also, the development of language
skills, not only in English but also in other Asean languages, is important for
Thai workers so that they can operate successfully at home and have a wider
opportunity to do so in other regional countries.
Bangjongjitt said the Kingdom
should also set itself up as a centre for career development in Asean by
promoting the development of careers entailing a high level of skill, such as
in the hospitality and tourism industry, logistics and electrical services.
Nakorn Silpa-Archa,
director-general of the Skill Development Department, acknowledged that Thai
workers were weak in English skills, while the country was also facing a
skilled-labour shortage.
The department will forge closer
cooperation with government agencies such as the Education Ministry and private
organisations such as the Federation of Thai Industries to increase the number
of workers with English and other Asean language skills, he said.
Supreeya Lumjiak, director of the
Dual Vocational Education Centre, said more vocational schools were now
developing courses for English language communication skills for their
students.
So far, 130 vocational schools
have an English programme, while another 291 will introduce one by year-end to
meet the demands of Asean labour liberalisation.
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
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