The Ministry of Labour together with the Royal Thai Volunteer Center implemented the project to resolve vocational issues by 2020, including the urgent employment activity “The COVID-19 Resistant Farm Project Model”. The initiative aims to provide people who have become unemployed from the COVID-19 effects and drought situations, to have jobs and income.
On May 19, 2020, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat as the Ministry of Labour’s spokesperson observed the progress of the COVID-19 Resistant Sample Farm Project Model at the Farm Project Model initiated by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit in Sing Buri Province, Moo 1 and 2, Tha Kham and Moo 3, Wihan Khao, Khai Bang Rachan, Sing Buri. She said that the COVID-19 pandemic that has spread in Thailand and around the world, coupled with the drought crisis, has impacted the economic recession. It has led to people having difficulties in their careers, with businesses shutdowns and layoffs, which directly affect employment, causing people, including the younger generation, workers and employees to face unemployment, a lack of income, and the need to return home.
Mrs. Theanrat said that the Ministry of Labour, together with the Royal Thai Volunteer Center has carried out a project to resolve vocational issues in 2020, including the urgent employment activity named “the COVID-19 Resistant Farm Project Model”. The objective is for the working population affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the drought situation, resulting in unemployment, lack of income, and professional and occupational suffering. It supports the people in terms of employment while they are suspended from work, whereby the provincial labour offices were assigned to consider the appropriate job type. The initiative promotes sustainable careers to create opportunities for people to utilize society to their full potential, allowing them to make a living through experiences combined with local and folk wisdom.
The employment structure aims to improve the area of the project following new theoretical agricultural guidelines, by adjusting the landscape in Khok, Nong and Na Model areas to be a source of employment for people experiencing problems in the area. This will help the people in not having to relocate to find work elsewhere. The model farm project is under an initiative by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. The Ministry of Labour has been allocated an employment budget of 19.8 million Baht, with plans to operate in 17 provinces with 30 model farms, within 60 days starting from May 4 to July 28, 2020. Participants will have to work 8 hours a day and will receive a compensation of 300 Baht per day, per person. A total of 1,101 people have benefited from the project. In Sing Buri, 50 people have joined the project including 20 men and 30 women, operated at the Farm Project Model initiated by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit in Sing Buri Province, Moo 1 and 2, Tha Kham and Moo 3, Wihan Khao, Khai Bang Rachan, Sing Buri.
“The urgent employment project is an activity that will train and enable people in the area to use their free time from unemployment due to the COVID-19 situation, to beneficial use. The project includes activities such as cutting down trees, improving the project area, fertilizing the soil, cutting grass in the field, dredging vegetables, and canals for example. The people who join the project will receive compensation of 300 Baht per day. When complete, agencies under the Ministry of Labour in the area will survey the people’s needs to expand the career as needed to have a job, a career, and a stable income,” concluded Mrs. Thienrat.
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Division of Public Relations
19 May 2020
