The Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) together with Labtech International Ltd. and the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) navigated the topic on automotive systems through the In-Country Program for Thailand on Training of Trainers on Automotive Technology Using Virtual TVET. The program was conducted from May 13 to 17, 2024 via Zoom platform, and was joined by 32 teachers, instructors, trainers, and department heads from various Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutes in Thailand.
The four-day program was designed to introduce automotive systems, specifically the basic engine fundamentals, electricity, and electronics, braking systems, wheels and drive systems, steering, and suspension systems. The provided course also served as a refresher course for participants on new technology with application of a hybrid approach in relevant subject areas.
The online program was supervised by Prof. G.L.D. Wickramasinghe, CPSC Director General; Mr. Brad Ker, Labtech Academy General Manager; Dr. Steven McKee, Labtech President; and Dr. Rangsan Thepmondhri, Director under the Administration Development Division in OVEC. Meanwhile, Mr. Brad Ker and Mr. Laksasak Yangsaman served as the Program Coordinator and Local Program Coordinator, respectively.
In the opening ceremony, Prof. Wickramasinghe extended his greetings to the participants as well as to OVEC, Labtech, and to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Royal Thai Embassy, His Excellency Tull Traisorat who served as the Chief Guest during the ceremony. He also recalled the programs that were implemented to assist TVET institutes and educators in Thailand. Moreover, Mr. Ker and Dr. McKee welcomed the participants and expressed their hope for the participants to enjoy this digital learning that covers the TVET area.
Likewise, Dr. Rangsan shared the new curriculum of the TVET sector for 2024 in Thailand as he highlighted automotive technology being the most enrolled course which has amassed more than 40,000 students every year. He also addressed the need to develop the teachers first in order to transfer the knowledge to students, especially in the areas of mechanical, electrical, and software development which they have recognized as different from the traditional automotive technology courses in Thailand. Lastly, His Excellency Tull Traisorat delivered his inaugural speech as the Chief Guest of the program. In his speech, he mentioned that automotive technology, as one of the top industries in Thailand, has provided thousands of job opportunities in the country. However, it requires highly skilled professional development, manufacturing, and maintenance of modern vehicles that demand specialized expertise in the areas of engineering, electronics, and computer programming. Thus, students should be proficient in automotive technology as they acquire valuable skills that prepare them for their career in competitive global markets. Ambassador Traisorat then encouraged the participants to make use of this program for further skills enrichment of their students in the area of automotive technology.
Similar to the previous online training provided by Labtech to the member countries of CPSC, the sessions covered digital TVET framework, approaches of blended learning, technical operation of modern training systems, and creation of lesson plans using virtual TVET. Labtech also discussed how to use video as a medium of delivery for knowledge transfer in 21st century training. The lecture was facilitated by Mr. Ian Andrew, Labtech’s TVET Consultant and Trainer.
During the closing ceremony, selected participants shared their feedback and expressed their gratitude to CPSC, Labtech, and OVEC for organizing the program which allowed them to gain learnings from the new system that Labtech has introduced to the Thai instructors. Their feedback reflected on the Summary of the Program which Mr. Ker presented to the participants. Finally, CPSC Governing Board-Engaged Faculty Consultant Dr. Kesavan Ulaganathen, together with Dr. Rangsan delivered their closing remarks. In their respective speeches, Dr. Kesavan congratulated the participants for completing the online training, and also thanked them for their commitment and support to the training. Meanwhile, Dr. Rangsan commended CPSC and Labtech for recognizing the needs of Thailand, particularly in the TVET institutions. With these remarks, the overall program has done its role in assisting TVET instructors and gearing them towards further competency of TVET in Thailand.
Group photos of the participants
