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GM Southeast Asia Operations president Steve Carlisle said the project was the result of an idea initially developed by General Motors in Michigan.

"In addition to the hands-on experience that students acquire, they receive the opportunity to work with GM and Chevrolet," he said. "Details of students will be entered into our job database, and they will have top consideration for positions at any of our 100-plus Chevrolet dealers nationwide."

ASEP, a key component of the "Chevrolet Develops Thai Education" initiative, is provided for students in Maha Sarakham Technical College's Auto Mechanics Department.

Students train six days a week for three months in the workshop of a Chevrolet-authorised dealer in Maha Sarakham province. They receive training from professional staff in all aspects of engine design and maintenance and hands-on experience in real-life situations, such as customer relations, basic vehicle checks and problem analysis and repair.

Thanakorn Sornhung, one of the students, said: "It's a great opportunity to learn more about automotive engineering and work closely with the dealer. It's providing me with a unique and invaluable experience that I could never find in a classroom."

There are 11 vocational colleges involved in the programme. ASEP tries to turn out 1,000 qualified technicians a year, placing half of its graduates in Thailand's automotive industry.