Thailand Upskills Workforce to Meet an Expanding Tech Economy’s Demands (part 2)

The university also encourages interdisciplinary projects that give science, technology, and business students an opportunity to work together and learn from each other. One of these initiatives involved a collaboration with Thailand’s Defence Technology Institute (DTI), leading to the development of a small explosive ordnance disposal robot.

The D-EMPIR V.4, which recently entered commercial production, has already demonstrated its value on several missions. Among them was providing aid to victims of a disaster in the Chatuchak District of Bangkok, where numerous people were injured and missing.

It’s too early to tell how well Thailand’s ambitious plan to move its economy, and the workforce that supports it, will migrate further up the global value chain. But the initial results seem to be very promising. Their BOI has succeeded in raising the nation’s combined investments (indigenous and foreign) from $18B in 2023 to $57B at the close of 2025.

While this growth is due to many factors, the steady increase in the size and skill levels of their workforce appears to have been a major factor in convincing several major technology companies to begin building new facilities or expand existing ones.

A Pattern for Success?

Observing the returns Thailand is reaping from its investment in its workforce led me to wonder if a similar approach might help our country maintain or even expand its technical and economic leadership. Many other nations, including China, Germany, and other European nations, have developed national strategies for preparing citizens entering the industrial workforce to fill demanding, good-paying jobs.

Could something like that work here in America?

The good news is that some of the measures we’ve covered here are already being used by a few U.S. colleges and universities. Studying the results of these isolated programs could provide valuable information about what it would take to develop a national strategy for upgrading our nation’s technical education.

For example, some colleges already work with local industries to develop curricula that include the specialized skills they need. The BLUEPRINT conference, organized by my brother Robert, was focused on rebuilding the economy of America’s heartland. It included several compelling stories about how these collaborations played important roles in rebuilding local broken economies, including the city of Reno, Nevada, where it was held.

It’s also good to note that at least a portion of America’s top engineering programs are already integrating real-world experience with theory in cooperative education programs. This is typified by the “learn and earn” curricula that Drexel University has been offering its students for over a century.

Initiatives to encourage the growth of cooperative education throughout our higher education system could help graduate more capable students while also making college more affordable for them. We’re also seeing the rise of industry-sponsored research centers like Georgia Tech’s Georgia Electronic Design Center, which give students opportunities to get involved with practical research in advanced commercial applications while still in school.

I have some concerns about the potential for companies exercising undue influence on our schools and that most of these centers’ activities are restricted to graduate-level students. However, I think these issues can be overcome.

There’s also a small but growing movement within the U.S. to reinvent technical education to help their graduates become versatile problem solvers and lifelong learners who can thrive in rapidly evolving disciplines. Case in point: Many of MUT’s innovative educational strategies mentioned earlier in this article were heavily influenced by the programs created by the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, operated by their U.S.-based partner, Arizona State University.

Olin College, located in Boston, Mass., has also re-thought technical education and what it would take to prepare their graduates with the technical and life skills they will need to excel in their careers. According to their mission statement, Olin’s academic approach emphasizes hands-on learning, collaboration, and tackling real-world problems — starting on day one and continuing through students’ capstone experiences.

In contrast to conventional engineering programs, Olin’s students begin project-based engineering in their first semester. In addition, every student at Olin is expected to participate in industry-sponsored or impact-focused capstone activities. You can see a few examples of the real-world projects done by Olin undergraduates in the video below: