Thailand is integrating new digital and green construction skills into its national skills development and vocational education systems, following collaboration between the International Labour Organization (ILO), government, employers, workers and the construction industry.
The Department of Skill Development (DSD), Ministry of Labour, has developed new courses on Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Green Skills for Construction, using skills standards and training materials developed through the ILO's Advancing Digital and Green Skills for Youth in ASEAN project.
Following more than five in-person consultations and workshops to adapt the standards and training programmes to meet the needs of Thailand's construction sector, the two DSD courses are ready for submission for management approval. Once approved, they are expected to be disseminated across all 77 skills development institutes in Thailand, with training anticipated to become available to workers for upskilling and reskilling from January 2027.
"This initiative is particularly important for Thailand's workforce development, as it not only equips workers with essential occupational skills, but also helps increase labour productivity, enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, and expand employment opportunities for young people and workers in the construction sector, contributing to the country's sustainable economic development," said Chatiwut Thongkan, Deputy Director-General, Department of Skill Development (DSD), Ministry of Labour, Thailand
The Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC), Ministry of Education, has meanwhile integrated the project's full 42 hours of green skills modules into construction curricula at certificate and diploma levels, enabling vocational teachers to use the materials with students. OVEC has also developed a standalone BIM upskilling course, based on the project materials, which teachers can deliver according to demand.
"The endorsement and handover of these skills standards and training curricula marks not only a milestone for the project, but the starting point for national institutionalization. OVEC stands ready to scale up their implementation across vocational institutions nationwide, equipping Thai youth with the digital and green skills needed for the future of work," said Bunchaluk Luesawat, Advisor on Vocational Education Standards for Business and Services, Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC).
The programmes respond to digital and green skills gaps identified in Thailand's construction sector as it adapts to new technologies and more environmentally sustainable building practices. The standards and training programmes were adapted to the Thai context through consultations involving government, employers, workers, training institutions and industry.
"This is about moving from developing training programmes to putting them into practice through Thailand's own institutions," said Xiaoyan Qian, Director of the ILO Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao People's Democratic Republic. "National ownership is what will allow these skills to reach more young people and workers, respond to changing industry needs, and continue delivering results beyond the life of the project."
The next step will be to strengthen the capacity of those responsible for delivering the new training. The project will organize a five-day, 40-hour Training of Trainers programme on Green Skills for Construction for 25 teachers and trainers from DSD and OVEC, together with in-company trainers from the construction industry.
The training will equip participants to deliver green construction skills to TVET students, unemployed young people and existing workers, supporting the longer-term dissemination of the programme through national institutions.
The initiative is part of the Advancing Digital and Green Skills for Youth in ASEAN project, funded by the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labour through the ILO-Korea Partnership Programme. The project supports the development of digital and green skills for the construction sector in Thailand and the Philippines.
