On September 8, 2021, at 16.45 hours, Permanent Secretary of Labour Mr. Suthi Sukosol represented the Labour Minister, participating in the discussion at the 5th International Conference for Building a Nation, which took place in an online meeting format. Over 1,000 people attended, including important figures from the public and private sectors and scholars in various fields from many countries. Participants exchanged knowledge and experience in important issues related to nation-building in various fields so that social stakeholders and national policymakers are aware of important issues and can work together to drive solutions together. The topic of this discussion was strategies and guidelines for recovering from the COVID-19 crisis. The meeting is scheduled between September 8 to 9, 2021, at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang.
The Permanent Secretary of Labour participated in a panel discussion on Manpower Strategy and Education for Crisis Restoration and Nation Building. Ms. Nicole Scoble-Williams, Global Leader of the Future of Work from Deloitte, Japan, Ms. Bettina Schaller, President of the World Employment Federation, and Professor Dr. Suchachwee Suwansawat, President of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, also joined the online discussion.
The Permanent Secretary of Labour spoke about the spread of COVID-19 that directly affects national development in all dimensions, including the workforce and labor market. He mentioned the Ministry of Labour’s measures in helping employers and employees affected by COVID-19 in many ways, such as reducing social security contributions, providing unemployment benefits, providing a loan program to promote employment, organizing the Job Expo Thailand 2020, money transfer to remedy vulnerable groups, the employment promotion program for new graduates, and the Factory Sandbox project to control the spread of COVID-19 in industrial plants and reduce the economic impact.
In addition, the Permanent Secretary of Labour discussed the Ministry of Labour’s cooperation in rebuilding the country, together with international organizations such as ASEAN, ILO, IOM, and other social partner organizations, establishing the “manpower strategy following the special master plan under the national strategy as a result of the COVID-19 situation”. It emphasized that all groups are ready to cope, adapt, and transform for future work, especially in the era of national revival, by focusing on enhancing labour skills to meet future needs. It particularly focuses on Thailand’s new economic development, focusing on the bio-economy circular economy and green economy (BCG Economy), learning modern technology, and lifelong learning.
The Permanent Secretary of Labour stressed that preparing the workforce for the country’s revitalization is essential to expedite action. But in the long run, lessons must be taken from the COVID-19 crisis and lead to national policy-making to cope with potential pandemics in the future. Human resource development will be the key to the nation-building process in the future.
