September 22, 2026 – Mr. Julapun Amornvivat, Minister of Labour, presided over the Executive Sharing Session and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Workforce Development in Digital Technology and Solar Energy Systems between the Ministry of Labour, through the Department of Skills Development, and Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Ms. Bubpha Rueangsud, Director-General of the Department of Skills Development, delivered the report. Pol. Lt. Col. Wannapong Kotcharak, Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Santi Nantasuwan, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Surachart Thienthong, Secretary to the Labour Minister, Mr. Kritikakon Wongsawangphanit, Adviser to the Labour Minister, Mrs. Yanika Thienthong, attached to the Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister, seconded to the Ministry of Labour, and Ms. Thidarath Yingcharoen, Advisor to the Labour Minister, together with Ministry of Labour executives and Department of Skills Development executives, served as witnesses at the Huawei Lianqiu Lake R&D Centre, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China.
Mr. Julapun said that developing a workforce with skills aligned with technology and industry needs is a key mission of the Ministry of Labour, particularly given the rapid pace of change in digital technology, artificial intelligence, intelligent systems, advanced connectivity technology, and clean energy. It is therefore imperative to accelerate skills development to keep pace with technology and enable workers to apply their skills in practice, whilst fostering public-private cooperation in curriculum development, instructor training, labour skill standards, knowledge transfer, and technology access, so that the skills development system responds effectively to the needs of industry.
Mr. Julapun continued that this Memorandum of Understanding represents an important framework for building on cooperation in digital technology and solar energy skills, encompassing curriculum development, digital learning, advanced technology training, and labour skill standards, with a focus on delivering tangible skills development outcomes, measuring success not merely by the number of trainees, but by ensuring that workers possess skills matched to real needs and applicable in practice, that employers can access a competent workforce, and that this translates into employment, income, and improved career advancement.
Ms. Bubpha added that the Department of Skills Development and Huawei have been collaborating on digital skills development since 2020, jointly developing skills across a range of areas, including 4G and 5G telecommunications systems, application development, telecommunications project management, and solar energy technology, through both training programmes and the provision of tools and equipment for training. Between 2021 and 2025, 347 people completed training in the 4G and 5G Telecommunications Signal Transmission Installation curriculum; in 2023, 83 people completed training in Application Development and 30 in Telecommunications Project Management. In 2024, the Department of Skills Development established a training centre for solar energy system installation technology at the Pathum Thani Skills Development Institute 14, with Huawei providing tools and equipment valued at 640,000 Baht, and jointly delivering training for 171 department trainers and members of the public.
Collaboration with Huawei serves as a key mechanism for linking government, the private sector, and the workforce. In the future, the Department of Skills Development will focus on expanding skills development more broadly, encompassing instructor development, updating curricula to keep pace with technology, linking training to skill standards and industry needs, and advancing learning through digital systems, advanced technology, and AI, so that workers can apply new knowledge and technology in practice, meet the demands of future technological change and industry needs, and deliver concrete outcomes for Thailand’s workforce. Ms. Bubpha concluded.
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