4 minute read
Growing together: Developing valuable workforce for the industrial sector’s future
Mr. Prawit Muang-Im, Senior Training Manager of Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) and Mr. Jumpol Swadiluksa, Engineering Division Manager of Pathumthani Brewery Co., Ltd.
Since the GTDEE programme was officially launched in 2013, it has grown rapidly with many college and company partners as well as participating students. UPDATE interviewed Mr. Prawit Muang-Im, Senior Training Manager of Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) and Mr. Jumpol Swadiluksa, Engineering Division Manager of Pathumthani Brewery Co., Ltd., on their participation in the German-Thai Dual Excellence Education (GTDEE) programme.
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Mr. Prawit Muang-Im, Senior Training Manager of Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Ltd., stressed that vocational education in the form of a dual system benefits all the stakeholders, including the students themselves, institutions and the businesses. For businesses, co-operation with a dual-system vocational institute is a long-term human resource planning strategy, as it results in students who have the potential to match future demands without the need for retraining. For example, the trend of electric vehicles and high-tech automobiles is expected to become more popular in the near future, so that the potential demand for the workforce in these two fields can also be expected to grow. We then need more workers who have specific knowledge, such as safety and technical knowledge, in these fields.
“Therefore, Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Ltd. is developing the necessary curriculum for students to have potential expertise in order to cope with upcoming technological advancements. Currently, we are working with the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce to develop programmes to support electric vehicles and advanced technology training, both of which will grow in popularity in the future, so that students can develop the necessary expertise and continue working in such a business.”
Mr. Jumpol Swadiluksa, Engineering Division Manager at Pathumthani Brewery Co. Ltd., pointed out that many students today are seeking standard work experience in the private sector in order to hone their skills and prepare for future career opportunities. This aligns with the production line's vision at Boon Rawd Brewery, the parent company of Pathumthani Brewery, which believes in the potential of youths to become a valuable workforce for the industrial sector in the future if they have received the proper systematic training.
“Therefore, we participate in the GTDEE programme with the aim of contributing to the advancement of apprentices, increasing students’ access to the job pool, and achieving maximum efficiency for their desired goal. We have prepared several dimensions in accordance with international standards. With that preparation, we were confident about the apprentice standard that has been built with the advice from the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce, and formed the “Pathumthani Apprenticeship Programme”, with the cooperation of the Pathumthani Brewery Co., Ltd., Don Bosco Technological College which accepted the first student batch in the electrical power profession in 2018.”
Mr. Jumpol believes that having highly motivated vocational students to study and gain working experience in the company is very beneficial for them. This is because they are able to obtain knowledge from the trainers, learn the reality of a working life, gain experience about the machinery in the production process and encounter actual problems. “Thanks to the cooperation from all sectors involved. These remarkable results demonstrated to the company executives that the apprenticeship programme contributes to their skills advancement, apprenticeship progression to vocational education, and labour replacement that is quick and efficient. As a result, they agreed to accept the second batch students in 2021, despite the Covid-19 scenario. I am very pleased to be a part of this project and witnessing our employees’ skills improvement as well as the trainees’ progress until they receive good career opportunities. With everything we have accomplished, I am even more confident that the Boon Rawd Group will continue to contribute to the development of human resources as well as provide sustainable support for the industrial system.”
Contact details: Mr. Prawit Muang-Im Senior Training Manager, Mercedes-Benz Competence Centre Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) prawit.muang-im@daimler.com , Mr. Jumpol Swadiluksa, Engineering -Maintenance Division Manager Pathumthani Brewery Co., Ltd. jumpol@boonrawd.co.th
Interviewed by GTCC team
