TAI Seminar

TAI Seminar On 13 March, the Thailand Automotive Institute and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) organized a seminar entitled 'Toward good partners and excellent suppliers" for Thai small and medium sized enterprises (SME) in the auto parts industry. This seminar contributed to enhancing the industry's capacity and efficiency with human resources development in sustainable way for the future of Thailand's automotive industry.

The purpose of seminar was to raise public awareness about the Automotive Human Resource Development Institute Project (AHRDIP) within the industry and among local SMEs, especially for the top management to realize the significance of human resource development as a key factor for value-added and competitive efficiency. This seminar also promoted and encouraged Thai auto parts makers to participate in AHRDIP training while announcing the course schedule for FY2013 to the public.

At the seminar, there were approximately 400 participants from both private and public companies in the automotive and auto parts industry. The participants also learned best practices from the companies who joined the AHRDIP training program.

Each program covered training for a certain period, including the training at TAI, lectures and actual training worksite with experienced trainers who were trained by Japanese experts. Those companies in turn shared their experiences from the training courses and revealed the results achieved after training. They participated in training programs that included R&D, Testing (Material Evaluation), Manufacturing (Production Preparation), Manufacturing (New Toyota Production System or TPS), and Manufacturing ( Mold & Die). Most companies agreed they could improve their production process and performance; especially skill, knowledge, attitude and technology received from training as well as the case study from the experienced trainers.

In the plan for the FY2013 training program, AHRDIP provided the training course outline and its schedule for those who are interested in sending their factory staff and engineers to be trained in order to improve their manufacturing process. The course outline ranges from basic to intermediate level, the training plan also includes lecture on theory and training at trainer's worksite or other training site with available facility and equipment. This program cannot be completed without receiving the cooperation from the JCC HRD committee (car makers) who develop master trainers to support Thai auto parts makers (trained as trainers). It is projected that the number of AHRDIP trainers by 2016 will total 790 persons comprised of trainers from R&D (130), Testing (270), New TPS (240), Mold & Die (20) and Production Preparation (130).

With the hope that Thailand will remain a top ten of world's auto production country, therefore, both the Thai and Japanese government have a strong intention to cooperate and develop the Thai auto and auto parts industry to be more competitive in a sustainable manner. This is because when Thai auto parts maker are able to develop themselves, and when they are strong enough, they can support others in the industry and this will eventually help the Thai auto industry to grow in a stable and sustainable manner.