Summary Meeting new job demands in the post-Covid economy - TDRI: Thailand Development Research Institute tdri.or.th
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The Thai government and educational institutions need to train workers in IT skills and English proficiency for the digital economy after Covid-19.
Slides
Slide Presentation (10 slides)
Key Points
- The government must act fast to upskill and reskill the workforce to survive the rapid digital transformation in the post-Covid economy.
- Education institutions must equip students with new in-demand skills for the post-Covid digital economy.
- The digital transformation is leading to rapid growth in the digital, care, and green economies, creating new job opportunities and skill requirements.
- Specific technical skills are required for jobs in the digital, care, and green economies, but soft skills are also essential.
- Thai universities are not adequately preparing students for the changing job markets, while private colleges and universities adapt more quickly.
- Work-integrated learning through collaboration with the business sector enhances students' job prospects.
- The Thai government should learn from other countries' approaches to upskilling and reskilling the workforce, such as providing financial support for training and eliminating outdated rules.
- Improving welfare and social security for informal workers is crucial as they are the backbone of the Thai economy.
Summaries
18 word summary
Thai government and educational institutions must upskill workers for post-Covid digital economy, including IT skills and English proficiency.
71 word summary
The Thai government and educational institutions must act promptly to upskill and reskill workers for the post-Covid digital economy. High-paying jobs in the digital, care, and green economies require advanced IT skills, English proficiency, and resilience. Soft skills are also important. Many Thai youths are unprepared, so work-integrated learning programs and successful models from other countries should be implemented. The government should also improve welfare and social security for informal workers.
169 word summary
The Thai government and educational institutions need to take immediate action to upskill and reskill the workforce for the post-Covid digital economy. The digital transformation, aging society, and climate crisis have led to rapid growth in the digital, care, and green economies. High-paying jobs in the digital economy require advanced IT skills, English proficiency, analytical skills, and resilience. The care economy demands technical skills, high-standard services, good health, English communication skills, and resilience. The green economy seeks specialists in renewable energy, biofuel, green marketing, and sustainability. Soft skills such as creativity, teamwork, resilience, and English proficiency are also essential. However, a survey revealed that many Thai youths are unprepared for changing job markets. Educational institutions should prioritize work-integrated learning programs and emulate successful models from other countries. The government can learn from approaches in Singapore and Great Britain to support upskilling and reskilling efforts. Additionally, welfare and social security systems should be improved for informal workers. Overall, swift action is needed to meet the demands of the post-Covid economy.
536 word summary
The Thai government and educational institutions need to take immediate action to upskill and reskill the workforce and equip students with in-demand skills for the post-Covid digital economy. This was emphasized by Dr. Saowaruj Rattanakhumfu, Research Director of TDRI's Innovation Policy for Sustainable Development. The digital transformation, along with an aging society and the climate crisis, has led to rapid growth in the digital, care, and green economies. As a result, many jobs will become obsolete while new economies will require individuals with different skills.
In the digital economy, there is a demand for high-paying jobs such as AI specialists, data scientists, and cyber security specialists. These jobs require advanced IT skills, good English proficiency, analytical skills, and resilience. The care economy has a demand for jobs like behavioral health technicians, physical therapist aides, and personal care aides. These jobs require technical skills, high-standard services, good health, good English communication skills, and resilience. In the green economy, specialists in renewable energy, biofuel, green marketing, and sustainability are sought after. These jobs require expertise in environmental science, as well as knowledge in building materials, law, IT, English proficiency, analytical skills, and communication skills.
Soft skills are also essential in the new economies. Business operators look for people who are creative, team-oriented, resilient, professional, have good people and communication skills, and proficient in English. However, the Thai workforce and educational institutions are not prepared for the changing job markets. A survey revealed that 30% of Thai youths believe their work skills are for life, compared to only 10% in Singapore and Vietnam. Additionally, 60% of Thai youths believe they cannot improve their intelligence and abilities beyond their current limits. These beliefs contribute to approximately 1.4 million Thai youths in the 15-24 age group being neither in school, training, nor in the job market.
To address this, educational institutions must equip students with the necessary skills to be competitive in the job market. Private colleges and universities adapt more quickly to change as they cannot rely on state funding. Work-integrated learning programs that collaborate closely with the business sector enhance students' job prospects. Examples from other countries, such as Generation and Perdue, demonstrate successful models that prioritize job placement and accountability. In Thailand, TechUp offers short-term online courses in high-demand skills and only requires payment if students secure jobs with a minimum monthly salary.
The Thai government can learn from other countries' approaches to upskilling and reskilling the workforce. Singapore provides direct money to citizens for training, allowing them to choose their training institutions. Great Britain has a Lifetime Skill Guarantee policy that offers free occupational training in digital marketing, software development, and green skills. To support upskilling and reskilling efforts, the Thai government should give citizens free coupons for professional training centers and increase internet access in remote areas.
While focusing on the growing digital, care, and green sectors, the government should also consider the welfare of workers in these industries. The government must improve the welfare and social security system for informal workers who are crucial to the Thai economy.
In conclusion, the Thai government and educational institutions must act swiftly to upskill and reskill the workforce and equip students with in-demand skills for the post-Covid economy.
645 word summary
To adapt to the rapid digital transformation brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Thai government and educational institutions must take immediate action to upskill and reskill the workforce and equip students with in-demand skills for the post-Covid digital economy. Dr. Saowaruj Rattanakhumfu, Research Director of TDRI's Innovation Policy for Sustainable Development, stressed the importance of this during the recent TDRI Annual Conference. The digital transformation is occurring alongside an aging society and the climate crisis, leading to rapid growth in the digital, care, and green economies. As a result, many jobs will become obsolete while new economies will require individuals with different skills.
In the digital economy, high-paying jobs such as AI specialists, data scientists, and cyber security specialists are in demand. These jobs require advanced IT skills, good English proficiency, analytical skills, and resilience. The care economy has a demand for jobs like behavioral health technicians, physical therapist aides, and personal care aides. These jobs require technical skills, high-standard services, good health, good English communication skills, and resilience. In the green economy, specialists in renewable energy, biofuel, green marketing, and sustainability are sought after. In addition to expertise in environmental science, these jobs require knowledge in building materials, law, IT, English proficiency, analytical skills, and communication skills.
Soft skills are also essential in the new economies. Business operators look for people who are creative, team-oriented, resilient, professional, have good people and communication skills, and proficient in English. However, the Thai workforce and educational institutions are not prepared for the changing job markets. A survey revealed that 30% of Thai youths believe their work skills are for life, compared to only 10% in Singapore and Vietnam. Additionally, 60% of Thai youths believe they cannot improve their intelligence and abilities beyond their current limits. These beliefs contribute to approximately 1.4 million Thai youths in the 15-24 age group being neither in school, training, nor in the job market.
Even for those in the education system, good job prospects are unlikely without additional skills. Corporations around the world prioritize problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, resilience, leadership, IT proficiency, and computer programming knowledge when hiring. A TDRI analysis of online job advertisements revealed that English proficiency, digital know-how, and critical thinking are highly valued by employers. Therefore, educational institutions must equip students with the necessary skills to be competitive in the job market. However, most Thai universities are subsidized by the government, making them unresponsive to job market demands.
Private colleges and universities adapt more quickly to change as they cannot rely on state funding. Work-integrated learning programs that collaborate closely with the business sector enhance students' job prospects. Examples from other countries, such as Generation and Perdue, demonstrate successful models that prioritize job placement and accountability. In Thailand, TechUp offers short-term online courses in high-demand skills and only requires payment if students secure jobs with a minimum monthly salary.
The Thai government can learn from other countries' approaches to upskilling and reskilling the workforce. Singapore provides direct money to citizens for training, allowing them to choose their training institutions. This incentivizes training institutions to align their programs with job demands. Great Britain has a Lifetime Skill Guarantee policy that offers free occupational training in digital marketing, software development, and green skills. To support upskilling and reskilling efforts, the Thai government should give citizens free coupons for professional training centers and increase internet access in remote areas.
While focusing on the growing digital, care, and green sectors, the government should also consider the welfare of workers in these industries. Not all jobs in these sectors are well-paid or provide security and welfare benefits. The government must improve the welfare and social security system for informal workers who are crucial to the Thai economy.
In conclusion, the Thai government and educational institutions must act swiftly to upskill and reskill the workforce and equip students with in-demand skills for the