Project aims to inspire students to choose career paths to future EEC jobs

EEC Office deputy secretary-general Tasanee Kiatpatraporn said her office has since 2017 joined with the Office of Knowledge Management and Development (OKMD) to organise a project called “EEC Innovative Role Model” for secondary students. So far, a total of 4,800 students and teachers have attended this project's activities.
The project reflects the demand for workers with specialist skills to cater to targeted industries as the Eastern Economic Corridor policy is implemented and businesses are set up in the corridor.
In the second phase this year, the project is aiming to inspire 500 newcomer youths to take a deep interest in science and technology, as well as to train 500 “change agent” teachers to emphasise analytical thinking and a hands-on approach to their teaching.
The EEC, which straddles the three eastern Thai provinces of Chonburi, Rayong and Chachoengsao, is centred on 10 targeted industries: next-generation automotive, smart electronic manufacturing, medical tourism, bio and agricultural technology, food innovation, automation and robotics for industries, aerospace and logistics, bio-energy and biochemicals, digital technology industry, as well as advanced medical and health care activities.
OKMD director Apichart Prasert said his agency was ready and willing to join the effort to inspire students to choose the study fields and subsequent career paths that would cater to the EEC labour market, by developing interesting and effective study programmes.
“We will make youths happy learning science and technology. Besides getting knowledge in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, they will also learn arts, creativity, analytical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork from the activities,” he said, The hope is that the activities will inspire and cause youths, teachers and residents in the EEC zone to be on alert for opportunities for self-improvement and to prepare themselves with the knowledge and skills to match labour market demands.
In the month of November, two main activities are scheduled. The first, a two-day “Technologies Integration for Modern Education” training session, will cover the Internet of Things and how to apply them, creative 2D, 3D graphic and animation creation, website and mobile phone application development for real use, VR and AR technology for gaming and entertainment media, the control of automatic robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as teaching and learning skills for the future.
The second activity is the EEC Innovation Youth Camp project, which is to comprise a robotic technology camp, a gaming and animation technology camp, an aerospace camp and an Internet of Things camp, with each lasting one day.