Mr. Tim Mahler, RAC NAMA Project Director, GIZ Thailand and Dr. Suthep Chittayawong, the Secretary General of OVEC

The Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) and GIZ have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a collaborative programme for “Capacity Building and Skills Development for the Labour Force in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) Sector” under the Thailand Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (RAC NAMA) project. Under the agreement, teachers and trainers from vocational education institutes under OVEC will be provided with intensive training by international experts in climate-friendly and energy-efficient cooling technologies based on natural refrigerants.

Dr. Suthep Chittayawong, the Secretary General of OVEC, emphasised the significance of this cooperation in his opening remarks, saying “OVEC’s mandate is to develop and provide vocational education as well as to promote high-quality training of professional excellence. The signing of this MoU demonstrates the collaboration in the area of ‘Capacity Building and Skills Development for the Labour Force in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) Sector’, which will bring Thailand’s vocational education in the field of refrigeration and air-conditioning cooling technologies in line with international standards and keep up with the rapid pace of technology. In this respect, OVEC and GIZ have mutually agreed to enhance the existing curriculum, organise training for master trainers and personnel, set training standards, and develop certification recognising completion and achievement of the course. Moreover, GIZ will be able to further provide us with advice and support on the equipment and tools necessary for this training.”

“After their training, we fully expect the master trainers to be equipped with knowledge, skills, and expertise in innovative energy-efficient and climate-friendly RAC technologies, which they will then transmit to the students at their respective institutions. This cooperation will thus ultimately lead to the production of highly qualified manpower to meet the labour market needs and be an important element in the development of the country in the future,” Dr. Suthep added.

Mr. Tim Mahler, Project Director of RAC NAMA, GIZ Thailand, also pointed to the key objectives of the collaboration, saying: “This cooperation with OVEC is a significant part of the RAC NAMA project’s work plans in building capacity and increasing the potential of the labour force in the RAC sector. Together with OVEC, we aim to enrich the curriculum and set up training sessions with a particular focus on the safe use of natural refrigerants and climate-friendly and energy-efficient technologies that are in line with international best practices. This will be achieved through the inputs of international experts highly experienced in Green Cooling technologies and natural refrigerants. We expect to meet our minimum target of 2,000 service technicians trained by the end of the project in 2021. In order to further facilitate the development of these planned activities, the project will also offer financial support in the form of Sub-Grants for equipment at pilot training centers. Accordingly, this cooperation presents a great opportunity to drive forward the development of vocational education and professional training in Thailand and bring it in line with international standards, as well as increase the capacity and specific expertise of the labour force in the Thai RAC industry.”