SCG Foundation, a charitable organization that continuously support and foster education, together with The Concrete Products and Aggregate Co., Ltd. (CPAC), and the Office of Vocational Education Commission (OVEC), have signed a Memorandum of Agreement launching the program “Advancing Vocational Skills Toward Professional Excellence.” The goal is to strengthen and provide students of civil engineering and construction programs with know-how, enhanced skills, and real-world experience to meet today’s market demands and international standards.
Ms. Suvimol Chivaluk, Director and Manager of SCG Foundation, said that the partnership signifies the importance of vocational college graduates in national development both in industrial and service sectors. SCG Foundation, the government, private sector, and civil society, have proactively implemented the public-private partnership to enhance the “Competitive Workforce” to develop vocational excellence and improve vocational students’ quality. SCG Foundation has strived to promote vocational education to boost the potential of the country’s vocational professionals. Although the country has experienced an economic slowdown and a declining demand for labor in several industries, including the large-scale construction industry, there is an upside demand for workers with professional skills and expertise in repair work as well as small and medium-scale construction projects. With a strong and sustained commitment to supporting education and producing skilled professionals to meet the country’s market demand, SCG Foundation has supported modern construction equipment worth 1.5 million Baht to 11 technical colleges that joined the pilot program. The provided equipment and tools include polishing machines, ground compactors, bolt cutters, installing the laser system, bull floats, cube molds, cement carts, wheelbarrows, lipped channel steel molds, concrete vibrators, concrete finishing machines, safety equipment, and other relevant tools.
Mr. Panya Sophasriphan, Director of Business Relations and Sustainable Development, Cement – Building Materials Business of The Concrete Products and Aggregate Co., Ltd. or CPAC, added, “The program came up after CPAC provided a class lecture on concrete technology to students of civil engineering and construction programs at Nakhon Si Thammarat Technical College that CPAC is committed to doing every year. We learned that some students wish to earn income while studying and gain real-world experience. And this is the right timing as some CPAC customers buy our concrete and still find that employing good technicians can be frustrating. These customers asked CPAC to recommend ones. This unfulfilled need has brought about the workshop and experience sharing program to develop vocational students’ skills and offer them with real-world experience at the customer’s site on top of a proper way to work with concrete by CPAC engineers and local technicians. CPAC customers are responsible for the material and labor costs of the students, while SCG Foundation supported tools and equipment. Plus, students will also gain knowledge of job costing, marketing, customer acquisition, on-site survey, cost estimation, and accounting, which will enable them to acquire contracts through the college’s construction profession association by themselves. The project’s implementation received positive feedback as the association can obtain 2-3 jobs per month on Saturday and Sunday and during semester breaks. Students not only gain real-world experience but also earn an extra income of an average of 350 Baht per day per person. To date, over 300 students have participated in the training program that integrates education in both theory and practice. And about 90 students have acquired jobs directly or through the college’s association. This outcome has brought student’s pride on top of meeting the project goals.
Mr. Narong Paewponsong, Secretary-General of the Office of Vocational Education Commission, revealedthat the program “Advancing Vocational Skills Toward Professional Excellence” will last for one year. The agreement’s purpose is to establish a public-private partnership to enhance vocational education management by supporting and fostering the development of professional skills for students in OVEC affiliated colleges that offer construction and civil engineering programs. The partnership aims to equip knowledge, professional skills with real-world experience to produce skilled professionals to meet the needs of today’s market demand and on a par with international standards. CPAC will provide training and know-how on concrete technology both in theory and practice in real construction work on top of relevant knowledge, such as project acquisition, costing, work safety, equipment maintenance for participants. The program will give assignments to help students gain on-site professional skills together with workshops and training programs on construction technology and construction solution for teachers, educators, and students in construction and civil engineering programs. SCG Foundation will support concrete construction materials for 11 technical colleges that participated in the program, namely, Chiang Mai Technical College, Lampang Technical College, Phitsanulok Technical College, Khonkaen Technical College, Search Results Web result with site links Nakhonratchasima Technical College, Ayutthaya Technical College, Saraburi Technical College, Dusit Technical College, Suratthani Technical College, Phuket Technical College, and Hatyai Technical College.
“In this respect, OVEC is the core unit for offering vocational education and professional training that strives to achieve professional excellence. This partnership will bring about construction technicians and civil engineers equipped with know-how, skills, and being on a par with international standards and also fulfill the demand for professional technicians,” concluded the Secretary-General.
