แจ็คกี้ หวาง
Country Director, Google ประเทศไทย
Bridging the digital skills gap for Thais through “Samart Skills”
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From left to right Dr. Ratthasart Korrasud, Senior Executive Vice President, Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) Wetang Phuangsap, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Digital Economy and Society Mike Jittivanich, Marketing Director - Brand & Reputation, Southeast Asia, Google Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, Minister of Digital Economy and Society Newin Chochaiyathip, Vice Minister of Digital Economy and Society Saranee Boonritthongchai, Country Marketing Manager, Google Thailand Nirutt Butrsaenlee, Director of Bureau of Vocational Education Research and Development, Office of Vocational Education Commission |
Now more than ever, Thai people need digital skills to leverage opportunities in the rapidly growing digital economy. According to the e-Conomy SEA Report 2021 report we published together with Temasek and Bain & Company, Thailand’s digital economy is expected to reach USD57 billion by 2025. The report also highlights that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand has added 9 million new digital consumers, while more than 1 in 3 digital merchants believe that they would not have survived the pandemic without going online.
In addition, AlphaBeta’s report titled ‘Unlocking Thailand’s Digital Potential’ states that Thailand’s digital transformation could generate up to THB2.5 trillion (USD79.5 billion) in annual economic value by 2030. Despite the significant growth opportunity for Thailand’s digital economy, the country faces several challenges on the way to realizing its full potential, including closing the digital talent gap, among others. The World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report 2020” showed that only 55% of workers in Thailand are literate in the required digital skills for future work, including computer skills, basic coding and digital reading.
To help bridge this talent gap and upskill Thais as part of our mission to "Leave No Thai Behind", today we launched a new digital training program, “Samart Skills”, with support from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, the Office of the Vocational Education Commission, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) and leading education institutions across Thailand. This new initiative is built on the success of the “Saphan Digital” program that helps over 100,000 SMEs gain digital skills.
“Samart Skills” offers training opportunities for students and job seekers from all backgrounds to grow digital skills and become job-ready in the fields of Data Analytics, IT Support, Project Management, UX Design and Digital Marketing & E-Commerce, utilizing the Google Career Certificates. Available on the online education platform Coursera, each course is developed and taught by Google's in-house experts and designed to equip learners with fundamental skills through hands-on learning, with no previous degree or experience required. Learners can complete these courses within 3 to 6 months and earn a certificate that prepares them for entry-level jobs in the digital fields.
Additionally, we are partnering with universities like The Rajabhat Universities, Chiang Mai University, Chulalongkorn University, Ramkhamhaeng University and King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang to offer the Google Cloud Computing Foundations curriculum to equip undergraduates with technical proficiency in cloud computing, where they will earn a skills badge. This course is an ideal foundation for diverse career paths including those in IT infrastructure and cloud-native application development.
To help more Thais have access to digital training opportunities, we will provide 22,000 scholarships to university and vocational students, as well as the general public to earn certificates from the “Samart Skills” program at no cost. The scholarships will be distributed through local partners including over 100 education institutions and private sector partners such as AIS and True. In addition, to help the program’s learners land career opportunities, we built an Employer Consortium of over 30 companies who recognize the certificates and openly express their interest in receiving applications from “Samart Skills” graduates.
We will continue to promote equal digital opportunities for all Thais so they can participate in the long-term growth of the digital economy. If you are interested in improving your digital skills to qualify for in-demand jobs or grow your career, we highly encourage you to apply for the “Samart Skills” scholarships and learn more about the program here.
Jackie Wang
Country Director, Google Thailand
