Vocational Education and Training in Thailand—Current Status and Future Development

Abstract

Around the globe, vocational education and training is categorized by a number of over-arching tendencies, including the growing use of technology, the rising importance of information and communications systems, and changes to national demographics. At the interface between the education and training system and the world of work, VET faces the challenge of tackling these changes of making a constructive contribution to solving the problems posed by the transition from education to employment and of ensuring that the next generation has the skills in it—and the economy needs. Apparently, it appeared necessary to develop modern technical and vocational education, and influenced by foreign models. Thailand developed its technical education system. New challenges in economy, such as the upgrading of Thailand’s economy and production system, have put vocational education to the force in the current years, but it still encounters problems. The Thai government has made their mind to put the importance on “cooperative education,” in order to brace the links between higher education institutions and companies, and boost Thai national innovation system. Though the notions and models can be clearly illustrated, putting them into practice is the real challenge.