Increasing Competency and Professional Skills in Tourism and Services to Serve Employment Situation of Vocational Education in Krabi and Phang-nga Provinces

Abstract

      This study aimed to study the employment situation and personnel requirements in tourism and services of Krabi and Phang Nga, to study the core competency development of staffs in tourism and services in colleges under Office of Vocational Education in Krabi and Phang Nga provinces, to study the professional skill development of staffs in tourism and services in colleges under Office of Vocational Education in Krabi and Phang Nga provinces, and to demonstrate guidelines for increasing competency and professional skills in tourism and services in order to support employments for vocational students in Krabi and Phang Nga. In synthesizing the results, this study conducted the meeting with stakeholders in order to examine data and specify development guidelines. The findings show that accommodation sector is the tourism and service businesses in Krabi and Phang Nga which need mostly new staffs. The labors’ qualifications are skills and competency to finish their jobs within the uncertainly situations, effectively. Moreover, tourism businesses also require staffs who have high learning intention and are continuing learning people. However, the problem of employment situation in Krabi and Phang Nga is the tolerance of new generation staffs toward hard work and also pressures from work. In recruiting the middle management, businesses tend to make decision from experience and competences. This project also explores the core competency of tourism and service staffs. The findings show that service mind, Thainess, and hygiene and safety are an important core competency of tourism and service staffs. In teachers, alumni, and students’ perspective, vocational school in Krabi and Phang Nga are ready to develop tourism and service staffs. It is correspondent with professional skills which are different depending on their positions, and the vocational schools in Krabi and Phang Nga are ready to develop professional skills. The guidelines for increasing core competency and professional skills to support employment situations of vocational level in Krabi and Phang Nga are 1) increasing the perception and understanding to top managements in order to develop clearly strategy, and 2) developing facilities to support the development of learning environment.