The Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) and the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC), Ministry of Education (MoE), Thailand, successfully conducted the In-Country Program on "Digital Embracement for the Future in VR, AR, and MR in TVET," held from January 27 to 31, 2025, at Nakhon Ratchasima College of Business Administration and Tourism in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

The five-day training program was attended by 14 college directors, instructors, teachers, administrators, and educators from the technical-vocational education and training (TVET) sector. Participants gained insights into the role of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) in TVET and learned how to integrate these modern technologies into their training curricula.

The program was jointly supervised by CPSC Director General, Prof. Dr. Suresh Kumar Dhameja, and OVEC Secretary-General, Mr. Yodsapol Venukosess. It was also managed by Engr. Dr. Mian Khuram Ahsan, KP-TEVTA Peshawar Director of Academics/Operations and former CPSC Senior Faculty Specialist, and Mr. Laksasak Yangsaman, OVEC Policy and Planning Analyst, who served as the Program Coordinator and Local Program Coordinator, respectively.

The participants, together with Engr. Dr. Mian Khuram Ahsan, Dr. Steven McKee, and Mr. Brad Ker pose for a group photo during the opening ceremony

The participants take a picture with Dr. Thanasarn Rujira, OVEC Senior Supervisor, who virtually joined the program as one of the resource speakers

The opening ceremony was graced by OVEC and CPSC wherein Mr. Samret Wongsakda, Director of Institute of Vocational Education, Northeastern Region 5, and CPSC DG Prof. Dr. Dhameja delivered their respective welcome messages. Following this, Prof. Dr. Dhameja delivered a special lecture titled "Achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through TVET," while Dr. Thanasarn Rujira, OVEC Senior Supervisor, presented on “The Future of TVET by Harnessing the Power of VR, AR, and MR.”

(From top to bottom): Engr. Dr. Mian (first row) and Mr. Brad Ker (second-third rows) facilitate the workshops for the participants

On the succeeding days, the program further proceeded with theme paper presentations and workshops conducted by Engr. Dr. Mian, Mr. Brad Ker, Director for Digital Programs at Labtech International and General Manager of Labtech Academy, and Dr. Arthit Kleebrung, Senior Teacher at Khonkaen Vocational College. Mr. Ker also facilitated a simulation of the VR, AR, and MR technologies for the participants during his workshop session.

(From L-R, bottom row): Sessions of Mr. Brad Ker, Mr. Hidayat Mercado, Regional Manager of ASEAN and Oceania at SEABERY SOLUCIONES SL., and Dr. Steven McKeecaptured during the National Conference on "Next Generation of Technology for Sustainable TVET"

To further enrich the program, a National Conference on "Next Generation of Technology for Sustainable TVET" was conducted on January 30, 2025. The conference featured sessions from Mr. Brad Ker, Mr. Hidayat Mercado, Regional Manager of ASEAN and Oceania at SEABERY SOLUCIONES SL., and Dr. Steven McKee, President of Labtech International Ltd.

Engr. Dr. Mian hands over the certificates of participation to the participants during the closing ceremony

The training program successfully concluded on January 31, 2025. During the closing ceremony, two selected participants shared their feedback and insights gained from the lectures, workshops, and conference. The participants received certificates of participation, and both CPSC and OVEC expressed their gratitude for yet another productive collaboration, focusing on advancing skills development in the TVET sector.