On March 13, 2021, Deputy Labour Minister Prof. Narumon Pinyosinwat and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Capt. Thammanat Prompao commenced the Art for Elephant event at the Chiang Mai Art Museum, Baan Sahakorn, Mae On, Chiang Mai. The event was an auction of paintings and artworks to raise funds to help elephants facing food shortages from the Covid-19 crisis. The event’s proceeds will support a group of over 300 elephants and elephants in Chiang Mai Province. H.E. Mrs.Helene Budliger Artieda, Ambassador of Switzerland, also attended this event.
Prof. Narumon said that the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in no tourism in Chiang Mai, one of the country’s most important tourist provinces. Elephant caretakers became unemployed, some having to look for additional careers to earn an income to take care of their families. The elephants in the tourism industry have also suffered from a lack of food and medicine, which is considered a crisis. The objective of today’s event is to save elephants by auctioning paintings of famous artists. The event also hosts an elephant show, photography, drawings, and inexpensive products to draw in income to help the affected elephants. Today, the Chiang Mai Institute of Skill Development 19, from the Department of Skill Development, joined the “Surviving Elephants Because We Support” project, exhibiting the work of the occupational training participants (the elderly) of the first batch in the embroidering branch, from the Tossalakaset Enterprise and Handicraft Group in San Kamphaeng District. The group showcased products for sale to earn an income. Part of the funds will be donated to help elephants. The initiative promotes elderly workers to organize a training course for vocational training for the second batch of participants in embroidery to allow visitors to see the process and embroidering methods in various forms. The staff are also provided training application advice with the Department of Skill Development, which has many courses that can serve people.
At the same time, participants received a presentation from the Skills 4 Life Foundation on Swiss apprenticeship Skills 4 life. H.E Mrs. Helene Budliger Artieda, Ambassador of Switzerland, gave a presentation on the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) course, which is a professional skill learning courses from over 240 participating private sector organizations to promote knowledge and skills that meet the needs of the labour market. Those entering this course can also take part in academic training to add to the knowledge that will be applied to the professional skills gained through hands-on training with private agencies and to have a higher chance of getting employed because trainees have the skills that the companies need. Training for skills development is an important factor in reducing the unemployment rate.
The Deputy Labour Minister added that the Ministry of Labour’s Department of Skill Development could help prepare and improve career opportunities for groups of elephant caretakers and other related occupations. For example, it offers training on “Multimedia Creation Techniques for Tourism” so that elephant caretakers can present elephant activities to serve tourists or invite local tourism amid the relaxation of Covid-19 measures. Participants will gain knowledge and conceptualization abilities to create results and techniques for presentation. It helps provide more career directions and offers several training courses that can be tracked at www.dsd.go.th. For more information, contact the 1506 hotline, press 4.
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Division of Public Relations
13 March 2021
