56 new masterclasses will be introduced this year to help with job creation and lifetime learning
- KMITL intends to introduce a new type of transcript that not only displays GPA but also reflects the potential of graduates in both soft and hard skills that match the needs of industrial entrepreneurs.
Bangkok – April 12, 2022 – The King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), which aspires to be the university of the future, has launched “Skill Mapping,” a mechanism that links the industrial sector’s demand for trained workers with consistent university course design. It is expected to begin using this within KMITL in the academic year 2022, with ambitions to spread to higher education institutions across the country after the approval of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (TSU).
It has also introduced the “KMITL Masterclass,” a collection of 56 open-to-the-public online courses that can be used to endlessly improve and develop new talents (upskilling and reskilling). Learners will be given a certificate as proof of their abilities.
“In addition to focusing on improving education for students in 2022, KMITL encourages individuals who want to upgrade or create new skills (upskilling and reskilling) to meet the needs of the changing labor market. This can be achieved by developing the latest learning platform, KMITL Masterclass, to develop both hard and soft skills in an online format that can be learned from anywhere, at any time. When students complete the program, they will receive a certificate,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Anuwat Jangwanitlert, acting president of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL).
“Robotics and AI,” “Modern Entrepreneurship,” and “Food Processing Is Easier Than You Think” are among the 56 courses now being developed, according to Dr. Anuwat.
“KMITL is committed to transforming itself into a future university. We aspire to be an educational institution that pioneers the use of scientific and technological knowledge in the development of education in both mainstream and alternative education systems. Moreover, we are dedicated to developing a culture of lifelong learning, improving graduates’ competitiveness in the new era, and preparing Thai workers and entrepreneurs to cope with the changing world through innovation.”
Technology disruption is currently a challenge that the industry is addressing with high-level innovation. Workers with new skills, who are always adaptive to changing conditions, are in high demand. As a leading educational institution in creating the groundwork for innovation, developing relevant research projects, and training a new generation of employees to be change agents (disruptors), KMITL has therefore created a “Skill Mapping Database.” It is a solution for gathering workforce skills that the market requires and will be used in the creation and development of KMITL’s courses beginning in the academic year 2022.”
The solution as a road map, allowing industry, education, and labor sectors to collaborate to improve their competitiveness.
Prof. Dr. Surin Khomfoi, acting vice president for planning and a lecturer at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, KMITL, who initiated the development “Skill Mapping Database,” reveals that the motivation for developing the solution derives from a review of data on Thailand’s education and skill levels, which were both relatively low in comparison to other countries. It is a major source of concern. Last year, Thailand’s Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2021 averaged only 45.46 points, placing it 68th in the world.
Many other survey findings agree with the above rating. Thailand’s competitive potential may steadily fade away from other countries in the global economic arena if meaningful labor skills development is not undertaken. This corresponds to industry assessments of changing skilled labor demand. They expect new graduates to have ready-to-use skills, both technical and general, in addition to academic knowledge when they enter the labor market. Each industry has its own set of skill demands.
KMITL recognized the need for a central system that connects the skills required by the modern labor market for curriculum design, the field of study, and teaching activities, as well as the measurement and assessment of KMITL students’ learning outcomes. As a result, the institute can produce graduates with skills that are tailored to the needs of each industry.
The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (TSU) has accepted the solution for use in the development of higher education programs to create and develop the country’s workforce from 2021 to 2027. Since the academic year 2022, this has been used as a framework for the implementation of higher education institutions across the country.
The highlight of the Skill Mapping solution, according to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Panwit Tuwanut, acting assistant to the President for Instructional Development at KMITL, is a collaborative effort. Entrepreneurs, the industrial sector, qualification organizations, and government agencies can all contribute information on the workforce skills that entrepreneurs expect prospective employees should possess.
The system always maintains the data current by utilizing data science to handle data acquired directly from users as well as data from stakeholders such as the Federation of Thai Industries, Thailand Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade, and numerous professional organizations. Data from prominent employment sites like LinkedIn and JobsDB, as well as data from other external databases, have been examined and compiled before being processed into a skill-based framework database that genuinely satisfies the standards of each profession. Both technical and general skills are examined so that educational institutions can construct their curriculum using a database.
Furthermore, the solution gives students and the general public access to the database displayed on Skill Mapping, which they can use as a guide for developing their abilities in accordance with the demands of each career field.
According to Asst. Prof. Dr. Naphatrapi Luangsakul, Dean of the Faculty of Food Industry, KMITL also intends to offer scientific knowledge and innovation ability, which are the institute’s strengths, to help build professional skills for the general population. This involves everything from starting a training course to launching a new vocation and honing existing abilities, as well as producing inventions and improving entrepreneur output and service.
The KMITL Street Food Academy, run by the Faculty of Food Industry, is one of the successful projects on this milestone. It recently constructed the novel “Hygienic Cart,” a cart selling fruit or grilled pork with the innovative design of hygienic control systems, in partnership with professionals from the Faculty of Engineering, Science, and Architecture. This is a prototype for using various sorts of street food carts to educate persons who lost their employment or were left without income as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.
KMITL has also launched the “Smart Food Truck Entrepreneurship Project,” which aims to elevate the level of food trucks by utilizing digital technology to increase sales via a delivery platform and cooperating with a food business startup, We Chef Thailand. There are other training courses available to improve food business skills. One of these is a course called “GMP for Production Facility and FDA Registration Number” that is designed to improve Thai food enterprises’ capabilities in the post-Covid era.
More information is available at https://www.kmitl.ac.th, or you can follow the institute’s activities on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kmitlofficial.
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