ส.อ.ท. ร่วมงานสัมมนาขับเคลื่อนนโยบาย 1 ครอบครัว 1 ซอฟต์พาวเวอร์ (OFOS Workshop)FTI Participates in the 1 Family 1 Soft Power Policy Workshop (OFOS Workshop)

On Friday, June 21, 2024, Ms. Pimjai Leeissaranukul, Vice President of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), attended the workshop to drive the 1 Family 1 Soft Power Policy (OFOS Workshop) organized by the Office of National Reform Strategy and Reconciliation (Office of the NRSC) at the Chaophraya Ballroom, Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort. Dr. Surapong Suaiphonglee, Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Driving the 1 Family 1 Soft Skill Policy, and Dr. Chutima Harnphachai, Director of the Office of the NRSC, along with the sub-committee for soft power in all 11 sectors and relevant agencies from both the public and private sectors, discussed the development of the OFOS curriculum to enhance the capabilities of Thai people for job creation and income generation.

Dr. Chutima Harnphachai, Director of the Office of the NRSC, stated that the purpose of the OFOS Workshop was to serve as a forum for discussing the development of the OFOS curriculum within each of the soft power industry sectors, ensuring that it meets the needs of private sector entrepreneurs. This will lead to job matching as well as to introduce the development of standards for the curriculum and the National Soft Power Credit Bank, aiming for the creation of a quality OFOS curriculum in the future.

Dr. Surapong Suaiphonglee discussed the OFOS curriculum as a policy that aims to transform Thailand, outlining two objectives for driving soft power: 1. To create an engine for economic growth that propels Thailand into developed country status by enhancing the skills of the domestic workforce through soft power, ensuring that citizens achieve higher incomes and improved quality of life. 2. To create opportunities for all Thai citizens, reducing social inequality and poverty in the country, citing popular Thai soft power examples such as Thai cuisine and Muay Thai. Therefore, enhancing the skills of the people is the core of this initiative, along with developing the industry throughout the supply chain to build a strong and sustainable Thai economy.

Dr. Sirikorn Maneerin, Chair of the Working Group on the 1 Family 1 Soft Skill Curriculum, discussed the establishment of the National Soft Power Credit Bank as a standard for developing learning curricula. Once students complete the courses, they will be able to accumulate credits for lifelong learning, allowing them to progress to higher levels of education. Thus, driving the OFOS curriculum represents a significant and seamless lifelong learning opportunity.

Dr. Suphakrit Poopongsak, Deputy Director of the Office of the NRSC, discussed the Office’s efforts in promoting the OFOS policy, stating that the Office has surveyed training curricula from government agencies that align with the 11 soft power industries to confirm that they meet the industry’s needs. Additionally, the Office compiled a total of 225 courses developed by various subcommittees of the soft power industry. A collaborative framework has been established to create an ecosystem supporting the OFOS curriculum, or OFOS Ecosystem, to ensure the sustainability of the 1 Family 1 Soft Skill Policy (OFOS).

The government is preparing to launch the OFOS registration system under the policy of building human capacity and enhancing skills for the workforce, with official registration set to begin during the THACCA SPLASH: Soft Power Forum 2024 on Friday, June 28, 2024.

Ms. Pimjai Leeissaranukul highlighted the strategic approach of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) in alignment with the soft power policy, noting that Thailand has a total of 46 industries, over half of which relate to the soft power sectors. The FTI is ready to collaborate and develop soft power through 76 local industry councils across the nation, comprising 16,000 member companies, moving towards the goal of creating value for Thai soft power in a sustainable creative industry.

Dr. Wisit Limleucha, Vice Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, spoke on the collaboration to improve the quality of the OFOS curriculum towards the National Soft Power Credit Bank system. He noted that Thailand currently ranks 40th in the Global Soft Power Index 2024 out of 193 countries, and holds the 3rd position in ASEAN with a score of 44.8. He believes that the advancement of soft power is driven by all sectors through 8 key factors: business and trade, governance, international relations, culture, communication, education and science, the populace and values, leading to the final factor, "sustainable future."