Bangkok--23 Feb--Brand Now Asia
Plan International, an independent development and humanitarian organization, is organising the Getting Youth Ready for Work Activity to skill up young adults to improve their employment opportunities and economic status. Today's one-day event, at Ban Karuna Juvenile Vocational Training Center in Samut Prakarn, is being organized in conjunction with Citi Foundation, the charitable arm of global k Citi, which promotes economic progress and helps improve the lives of low-income communities.
Director at Ban Karuna Juvenile Vocational Training Center, Srinara Krainara, speaking at today's event, highlights the need for Thailand's under-25s to train so that they can better their employment potential. "As well as a good education, young adults need employable skills, to learn how to harness their potential and succeed in the employment market, take control of their futures and enable an entrepreneurial spirit to flourish too. Work-ready training is an essential platform from which these young men and women can secure a firmer foothold on the career ladder toward employment success with greater confidence."
The event forms part of Plan International's Career Development for Youth Program with 20 young adults from three vocational training centers attending the workshop with mock panel interviews offering valuable resume and communication feedback. Groups are creating short educational films about ready-to-work understanding and skills. These clips will be uploaded as a module of the newly piloted Learning Management System (LMS). Finally, a panel discussion with former participants in Plan International's vocational training project sees them sharing their employment experiences alongside employers offering their suggestions on how to further improve the program.
Plan International's Country Director, John McDonough, wants to emphasize to the media, employers and young people that there is a real need for skill-based training and that the right support achieves real-world results. "There are over 9.6 million 15-24 year olds in Thailand within the workforce which is close to a fifth of the working population. However, unemployment within this age group is 14 times higher than it is with adults. The Career Development for Youth Program has helped 713 marginalized young people to date, with technical training and development of life skills along with job placement and follow-up support. Some 605 of these have completed vocational training, with 165 participating in ready-to-work workshops. 134 youths completing vocational training course are employed and five business groups being set up."
Also speaking at the event, Hassaya Hasitabhan, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Head of Citizenship at Citi in Thailand, highlighted how, together with Plan International, their goal is to free young people from a cycle of poverty. "Economic freedom through increased employment options and greater employability of individuals starts with opportunity; the opportunity to communicate and learn from employers; the opportunity to add to your skillset; and the opportunity to link education with leadership skills training, employer networks and jobs or to create a start-up business. In other words, economic empowerment through work-ready skills and employment."