An International Vocational Education Coordinating Centre has recently been establish in Thailand, in a bid to enable the country’s cooperation with other ASEAN partners in developing vocational education.

The move is also intended to prepare for the formation of an ASEAN Community in 2015 and improve the quality of vocational training in Thailand.

The centre will promote the exchange of vocational training personnel with various educational institutions, especially those in ASEAN, thus developing Thailand into a vocational education hub in the region.

Meanwhile, the Association of Private Vocational Schools of Thailand is working with other ASEAN countries in establishing a regional vocational education council in early 2014 to promote technical and personnel exchanges, and develop professional standards for vocational schools and colleges in member countries.

ASEAN member states have affirmed that the qualifications framework, both in national and regional scales, are excellent tools to assist individual economies and are useful only if they are used and linked to a quality assurance system.-VNA