Besides for basic education, teaching
quality is also doubtful in higher education level, including technical and
vocational education, on its blame for unable to produce competent students in
which their skills can meet employer’s expectation. Concentrating on theory and
textbook in class causes students to lack of real world practice. Similar to other countries, framework of
Industry-University Linkage (IUL) has been promoted in Thailand for quite
periods, but it is however not fully recognized.
Brimble and Doner (2007)
analyze university-industry linkages in Thailand at the national level, but
focused in four manufacturing sectors (automotive, textiles and garments,
ago-industry, and electronics). They explained the reasons why university
industry linkages in Thailand are frail are due to production and low levels of
innovation resulting in few private sector efforts to link up with university;
rigid structures and weak incentive in the Thai universities discouraging ties
with businesses, and fragmented Thai bureaucracy and inconsistently support of
political leaders.[1]
Weak linkages
between Thai education and firms are one of the factors obstructing students to
expose real world practices. There are different modalities for
university-industry linkages in Thailand ranged from (Brimble and Doner: 2007)
- Training/education
a. Cooperative
education: by Involving students to spend a significant portion of their
academic program in private companies
b.
Industrial
training (continuing education): by training the application of new
technologies and machines
c.
Entrepreneurship
training: This is similar to small business training with a stronger focus on
current issue with regard to entrepreneurship
d.
Visiting
lectureships: Private companies support their staff to participate in teaching
activities
Services/Consulting
a.
Industrial
extension services: by including testing, calibration, simple design
modifications
b.
Technology
brokerage/license: by assisting in obtaining or licensing technologies either
from the university of from a third party
c.
Business
consulting: Academic institutions provide business consulting, or through
research parks and science park
d.
Direct
or indirect investment: Investing through equity investment and venture capital
schemes
e.
Coordination
of technology related issues: Through such inter-organization as regional
technology councils
Research
a. Research
consulting: Contractual research carried out for a private company with
specified term
b. Joint
or cooperative research projects partnership contract: Long-term arrangement
between university and company to build up research and education facilities
c. Personnel interchange or industrial
fellowships: On a regular or long-term basis
In
the Thai context in which labor shortages are presented in technical and
vocational level, involving all stakeholders for capacity of Technical and Vocational Education in Thailand
has been enhanced for many years.
However, successful story for involvement of all stakeholders,
especially those in industrial sectors have been partly considered in some
selected industrial clusters, areas, and institutions. Special features of those successful stories
were comprised of different approaches.
There are two
approaches of involvement of industries in Technical and Vocational Education called 1) “Adopted College
Approach” and 2) Industrial – Lead College Approach”. The paper examines the
Mabtaput Technical College as the case of adopted college approach and the
Nakornsrithamarat Industrial Technology and Ship Building College as the case
of Industrial – Lead College Approach. “Adopted college approach” is defined by
involvement of industries in almost every aspect in planning, implementing, and
evaluation of the program. A large
amount of money is contributed for producing a certain type of Technical and Vocational Education learners. Furthermore, joint working
committee has worked closely with the college in monitoring the project.
On the
other hand, “industrial lead approach” is referred to the project led by
industries with partial involvement.
Similar aspects as that of “adopted college approach” are considered but
there are also special features of each approach. Comparative analysis of both
pros and cons on both frameworks can be deeply explained if needed.
[1]
Brimble, Peter and Doner, F.Richard (2007) “University-Industry Linkages and
Economic Development: The Case of Thailand, World Development, 35(6):
1021-1036