Khon Kaen, Thailand — September 8–19, 2025 — Mekong Institute (MI), in collaboration with Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, successfully organized the Annual International Training Course (AITC) on “Promoting Employability for Decent Work and Economic Growth: Sharing Thailand’s Good Practices and Lessons Learned.”
The two-week program gathered 21 policymakers, educators, and development practitioners from 17 countries across South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, Africa, and Central America, to exchange strategies for building a future-ready, inclusive, and resilient workforce.
Ms. Guohua Liu, MI’s Director of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Department, welcomed participants and highlighted the training as a platform for sharing ideas and good practices to drive south-south cooperation.
Throughout the course, the training showcased how Thailand links skills development with employment creation and fair wages. Thailand’s education reform, including Sandbox 2.0 and TVET reform, enables students and youth to participate in the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Model. Thailand 5.0 and the BCG Model integrate green growth and digital innovation to generate quality jobs, while initiatives such as digital skills programs and the Skill Passport System help workers transition into formal employment, as explained by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chavis Ketkaew and Mr. Teerapong Pienwisetkaew from Khon Kaen University International College.
To deepen on these insights and better understand how policies are translated into practice, participants visited the Skill Development Office in Mahasarakham to learn about informal skill provision and labour protection mechanisms at the provincial level. The course also highlighted the employability of vulnerable groups, with Ms. Kachakorn Thaveesri, a disability rights advocate, emphasizing that inclusive hiring—mandated by Thailand’s Persons with Disabilities Empowerment Act—is both a social responsibility and a driver of innovation. To further explore this in practice, participants visited the Rattanapa Women and Family Development Learning Center, which supports women and vulnerable groups in skill development and job creation.
Highlighting digital skills as a key enabler of economic participation, the training invited Ms. Kingkade Niyomsen and Mr. Din Supawat from the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA). They outlined Thailand’s strategy to build a robust digital economy and smart cities, showcasing the Digital Economy Promotion Master Plan (2023–2027). This national framework aims to upskill 500,000 digital workers, advance smart city development, and provide incentives for startups in sectors such as AgTech, HealthTech, and FinTech.
On skills development, Dr. Chaturaphat Ngernmool, Director of the International Institute for Skill Development, Ministry of Labour, explained how Thailand’s National Qualification Framework (NQF) links education, training, and industry requirements. He highlighted the framework’s role in supporting Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for informal workers, ensuring wage structures reflect skill levels, and enabling ASEAN-wide mutual recognition to strengthen regional labour mobility.
Addressing the transition to a low-carbon economy, Ms. Natcha Yongphiphatwong from the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) underscored the rapid rise of green jobs in renewable energy, sustainable finance, and circular economy sectors. She noted that the next decade will require enhanced green skills—including carbon accounting, sustainability reporting, and renewable-energy engineering—creating opportunities both in emerging industries and in traditional sectors adapting to low-carbon standards.
The participants explored Thailand’s renowned One Tambon One Product (OTOP) program, a flagship national initiative strengthening local entrepreneurship and workforce development, supported by the Community Development Department (CDD), Ministry of Interior. They also gained insights into financial and loan support provided by the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) to small farmers and OTOP communities. Visits to Wandee Culinary Technological College and the Digital Skill Development Academy (DiSDA) in Bangkok showcased Thailand’s strategic approaches to upskilling the workforce across the food, tourism, and digital sectors.
Building on the knowledge and practical approaches gained through this program, participants are inspired to adapt these initiatives on fair wages, employability, access to credit, and skills passport systems to their home countries. Drawing on Thailand’s experience in workforce development, digital innovation, and inclusive employment, they are empowered to address skills gaps, advance social inclusion, and promote sustainable economic growth. The networks established and tools acquired are expected to continue guiding policies and partnerships that create decent work opportunities and strengthen resilient, future-ready workforces across the region.
