Essential Skills for Thailand 4.0: The Importance of Education Corresponded to Employment Scenarios, and Building Self-Competent Immunity Pertaining to Technological Disruptions

Abstract

                Inspired by the importance of realizing Thailand 4.0 policy concerning skills required for job opportunities and fields of studies relevant to technological disruptions, and what to prepare in order to stay relevant and competitive in the ever challenging and increasing competition in the jobs market demands, the academic article has been written with an aim to provide a gainful insights and useful guidance for students, educators, public and private institutions, and business people at large. Furthermore, the article sheds light on the employment landscape and explores scenarios in both macro and micro levels related to fields of study corresponded to the future employment opportunities for students, job seekers and concerned stakeholders to strongly consider before making a career decision whether it be the suitable enrollment field with demand in the jobs market and/or lines of jobs that are/will be needed in the market going forward. Additionally, the article identifies both hard and soft skills required to compete as well as fields of work that will be in demand pertain to Thailand 4.0 model as well as ways to prepare and curb with potential of digital transformation, robotics and machines automation to replace humans, specifically monotonous tasks and functions as the digital technology has continued to evolve. For students and job seekers whose expertise and capabilities are not technologically inclined to suit Thailand 4.0 and S-Curve’s requirements, those who graduated in social studies or related disciplines in particular, the windows of opportunities lie in people-oriented, customer interactions or customer service aspects along with competent communication in foreign language (s) skills (ideally, TOEIC exam capacity of minimum 550 required by many leading companies) though complemented of critical/strategically thinking, problem solving, and importantly human skills.  That said, with enhanced capabilities to apply human emotions, intuition, and be able to understand and deal with people and customers’ feelings and needs, having empathy towards others, and able to apply all these attributes to handle and resolve emotional/attitude-linked issues and matters, thereby are considered as a competitive advantage, serve as immunity, and without a doubt, are irreplaceable by intelligent machines.