Slow start for govt training scheme

Reports said less than 10 people went to the Labour Ministry to submit their forms while the turnout at the Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Songkhla and Trang provincial employment offices was sparse.

The online application system through the project's website also encountered glitches, preventing people from reserving a spot.

The government aims at assisting 500,000 people throughout the country by increasing their occupational skills so that they can seek a new job or start their own business.

Under the project called "Tonkla Acheep" (occupation sprouts), the unemployed can take free of charge more than 900 vocational courses in seven fields - agriculture and agri¬cultural products processing, production and industry, service and tourism, trading and sufficiency economy, computer and administration, logistics and construction.

During the onemonth course each participant will be provided Bt5,000 to pay the service provider, a Bt4,800 living allowance and Bt1,000 travel allowance plus Bt720 during the training.

Those who finish the course and head back their hometown to run a business under the government's sufficiency economy project to upgrade communities will be funded Bt4,800 per month for three months.

The project has 25,820 service providers located in every province.

"We'll offer courses to improve workers' abilities to meet the qualifications for about 120,000 vacancies first," said Kanok Wongtrangan, adviser to the prime minister.

Phase 1 of the scheme is due to start next month and end in September with a budget of Bt6.9 bil¬lion to train 240,000 jobless workers.

Phase 2 is expected to start next year with a budget of Bt7 billion to train 260,000.

Kanok said the government also would join hands with companies expecting to lay off some 15,000 employees to offer training if the firms agree to halt their plan for one year.