Workforce Development Program under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation 

     The Workforce Development Project under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation is a collaboration between higher education institutions, manufacturing departments, and graduate user establishments. It provides students who can study in higher education institutions and practical work in the establishment an opportunity to be ready to enter the real work world immediately after graduation. They can also develop their current careers and prepare for future positions. The project includes the following elements.

1. Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education Project (CWIE)

     Undergraduate students are provided with “Experiential Education Competencies” so they can study in higher education and do practical work in the workplace. The duration is at least 16 weeks (man-week) to develop students’ ability to be ready to work in immediately after graduation (“Ready to Work”), with the collaboration between the higher education institute, supply side, and the demand-side establishment (i.e., a workplace) (“University-Workplace Engagement”). The key driver of CWIE is the Co-design, Curriculum, Instruction, and Management System. The collaboration between the higher education institutes, the establishments (companies), and the Office of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation is responsible for the project.

2. Work-Integrated Learning Project (WIL)                                                      

     Developing a joint workforce with industry during the semester is a key element. Students who study in a vocational or undergraduate program will work as employees for two years during their time after doing coursework or on holidays from work provided by the workplace. The establishments with urgent operational workforce needs are involved in the workforce's development, in order to meet their needs for students with work experience who will be ready to perform upon graduation. In addition, the establishment will provide experienced supervisors in supervising, monitoring, and evaluating student performance and pay students wages and welfare while they are in the development stage, before graduating.

3. Higher Education for Industry Consortium Project (Hi-FI Consortium)

     Another important feature of the scheme is the development of a network of universities capable of building a graduate workforce for industry. As innovations and development in the workplace take place, according to the needs of the private sector, such real-world developments and business problems may be used for research and development of products and services, as a common goal for the operation of the industry and academia. This “demand-driven”curriculum and tailor-made education will lead to a graduate workforce prepared for industry, in which students work along with on-site researchers on research assignments under the supervision of an expert advisor for two years, which can accommodate the diverse needs of the industry with multidisciplinary skills under the collaborative platform of the university network.

4. Total Innovation Management Enterprise to Enhance the Country's Competitiveness Project (TIME)              

     This aspect is aimed at enhancing entrepreneurial capabilities that are focused on creating value-added products and services that meet current and future market needs by developing innovative management knowledge for the industrial personnel in the organization, so that they are able to find ways to improve and develop industrial processes and maximize efficiency through the management of the graduate workforce.

     Students will analyze gaps and opportunities of establishment development, and then conduct research through a thesis with industry experts and mentoring supervisors for two years. Finally, it is also suitable for medium-sized enterprises that are about to expand and so must develop their products or set industrial process standards.

5. The Management of Education is Different from the Normal Higher Education Standard (Higher Education Sandbox)                    

     The type of educational management whose objective is to produce and develop specialized personnel at the undergraduate level cannot operate effectively under the current higher education standards (which are “sandboxed,” having little or no contact with the business world). In order for companies to obtain specialized personnel who meet the requirements of the industrial sector, the educational operation should meet the conditions under the cooperative agreement between the establishments and the higher education institutions, such as joint investment in education management, recruitment of students as employees during the course of the study, etc.

6. The Encouragement of Research Personnel Projects in Higher Education to Solve Problems and Increase Production Capacity in the Industry (Talent Mobility: TM)

     The purpose is to encourage teachers and researchers from higher education institutions to work temporarily in the private sector to enhance the research and development capacity of the private sector and build cooperation between higher education institutions and the private sector.

Source: Office of the National Council for Higher Education Policy, Science, Research, and Innovation (National Science and Technology Development Agency), Chamchuri Square Building, 14th Floor, 319 Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel. +66 2109 5432

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