Project on the sustainable and effective approach for the labors-skill development and training before overseas working.

This study aimed to formulate learning process which become a sustainable and effective approach for the labors‟ skill development and training before going overseas as well as to be used as a master best practice for the others academic extended services by means of Quality Research Method and problems based learning analysis from the case study of the Project on Upgrading Skills Development for I-san Labors before Overseas Working. The data analysis units were the labors and their families that used to be trained in the Project on Upgrading Skills Development for I-san Labors before Overseas Working and the Government Officials and the Local Authority personnel which involved in the development of learning process of the local labors. The data were gathered and collected via group processing from the 20 labors and families from Ban Hin Heub, Tambon Phra yeun, Ampher Phra Yeun, Khon Kaen Province and Ban Nong Bua, Tambon Nong Bua, Ampher Kosumpisai, Mahasarakham Province

PROJECT ON THE SUSTAINABLE AND EFFECTIVE APPROACH FOR THE LABORS-SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING

BEFORE OVERSEAS WORKING

Udomluk Bumrungyart

budoml@kku.ac.th

Kwannakorn Sonman

kwanso@kku.ac.th Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Thailand

Abstract

This study aimed to formulate learning process which become a sustainable and effective approach for the labors‟ skill development and training before going overseas as well as to be used as a master best practice for the others academic extended services by means of Quality Research Method and problems based learning analysis from the case study of the Project on Upgrading Skills Development for I-san Labors before Overseas Working The data analysis units were the labors and their families that used to be trained

in the Project on Upgrading Skills Development for I-san Labors before Overseas Working and the Government Officials and the Local Authority personnel which involved

in the development of learning process of the local labors The data were gathered and collected via group processing from the 20 labors and families from Ban Hin Heub, Tambon Phra yeun, Ampher Phra Yeun, Khon Kaen Province and Ban Nong Bua, Tambon Nong Bua, Ampher Kosumpisai, Mahasarakham Province

The study revealed that learning process for the sustainable and effective approach for the labors‟ skill development and training before going overseas should be composed

of the following order: Labors Registration and Screening, Introduction, Project Description, Multimedia Projection, Group Discussion, Group Presentation, Meeting with Expertise‟s and Senior Lecturers, Idea Expression and Exchange, Conclusion, Project Evaluation and Report Writing In addition, the essential key success factor that play a great role on the outcome of the project is the close and intensive cooperation among the local and central labors officers, Labor Department, the expertise from the Consular, local Government Officials of the Ministry of Interior such as the Sheriff, community leader(s) and the Academic Network The activities should begin with the detailed study and clear cut on situation, problems as well as background information of the labors and the needs

of the communities before cooperated with the lecturers as well as the expertise and the related Department

1 Introduction

Overseas working is quite common and has been popular from the past This tendency is increasing more and more in the future However, the cheating patterns that cheated to the labors are also happened The fact is that the labors‘ families are

expected to earn much more money from their family‘s member(s) that working in overseas and the overseas money can upgrade their quality of life Thus, the overseas working become popular in the rural area and constrain that forced the families‘ member(s) to work overseas

Apart from the fact that there are a lot of the overseas money that was sent back to their families and this sum of money also play a great role not only on the quality of life of the families‘ members but also the rural or community‘s economics particularly when the country is under the economics‘ crisis Thus, the overseas working is one of the Labor Department policy which will be continue for last long However, there are two main critical problems that come together with the labors that working overseas The first one is the cheating problems The labors are cheated by the private companies and others, in terms of types of works, rented and advanced money, working time etc the other problem

is the behavior of the labors themselves when they are staying overseas which were badly effected to their success in working overseas For example: they spent a large amount of money that earned from their working for the gambling, alcoholic drinking which leading

to the unproper behaviors flighting sex harassment etc These sorts of behavior affected them to be sent back to their home town with a large amount of money that have been borrowed in advance from the private employer company to use in the cost of expenses for the preparation, such as special technical training, working fee, clothes etc before going overseas However, this problem seems to be individual problem but in reality it is a lot of effected not only to his or her own but also to their families‘ members in terms of both quality of life and social acceptance

Consequently, the labors preparation before working overseas are essential and needed to be taken into comprehensively study and planned in order to cope with every concerned items and set up the appropriate and effective training the labors, not only in technical skill, but also social skill and living skill before going overseas

Consular Ministry of Foreign Affair realizes the essential and role of the labors policy and requested for the cooperation from Faculty of Humanity and Social Science, Khon Kaen University to set up the Skill Training Project for I-san labors before going overseas

The I-san labors are trained to understand and protect their rights and know how to behave themselves in the working overseas country including the Thai Government assistance-providing system, how to ask for help from the Thai ambassy, especially on the laws that involved with labors and related laws in order to protect the Trafficking

Faculty of Humanity and Social, Khon Kaen University has realized on its roles

in learning process and practical training in order to cope with all of the concerned problems in such a sustainable way Thus, the Project on skills development for I-san labors before overseas working was used as a case study and analized in order to set up the effective approach for the labors‘ skill development and training as well as to be a master best practice for the others academic extended services both within and outside the University

2 Objective

The objective of this research is to study and analyzed the Project on skills

development for I-san labors before overseas working before set up the sustainable and effective approach for the labors‘ skill development and training as well as to be a master best practice for the others academic- extended services

3 Methodology

The quality research method, in-depth interview, was used as a major tool for data collection and gathering form the target group which were Labors‘ families that were

trained in the Project on skills development for I-san labors before overseas working and

the Government Officials and Sub-district Administration Organization that involved in the learning processes There were 30 families from Hin Heub Village, Tambon Phra yeun, Ampher Phra yeun, Khon Kaen Province as well as 30 families from Tambon Nong Bua, Ampher Kosompisai, Mahasarakham Province and the local experienced leaders were interviewed via Group Discussion Guideline The target group was classified into 3 subgroups The first subgroup was the labors‘ families that used to work overseas The second subgroup was the labors‘ families that were working overseas The third subgroup was the labors‘ families that planned to go overseas and the interested local persons

4 Results of Study

The results of study revealed that the effective learning process of the skills

development of the labors should be composed of the following Orders:

1 Labors Registration and Screening

The labors should be registered and screened according to specific subgroup and took the color label for each specific subgroup For Example: the first subgroup had got a yellow label whereas the second subgroup had got a red label and the third subgroup had got a white label

2 Introduction

The project leader has to introduce the project responsibility, lecturers, members‘ committee to the trainees

3 Project Description

The details of the project must be clearly described especially the introduction or background information and the objective of the project

4 Multimedia Projection

The multimedia concerning about the activities, status, income, expenses, way of living, work condition, problems etc of the overseas labors, both pro and con, should be shown to the trainees as introductory background

5 Group Discussion

The trainees should participate in the specific subgroup or the color label which were screened since registered Ice breaking process was recommended before group discussion This activity will help the understanding between the lecturers and the trainees

Then, the labors crisis and problems in overseas should be thoroughly discussion This group discussion should take time for approximately 40 minutes

6 Group Presentation

The lecturer or the representative of each subgroup has to present the results of group discussion including questions concerned

Questions from the first subgroup were: How to go overseas? What are the technical skills that are needed in overseas? Type of VISA, working permit or tourist visa? Going overseas by the Labor Department or private companies, working and travelling expenses, source of money, how to send money back?, overseas accommodation?, co-worker and boss relationship? The needs, assistance and expectation from the Labor Department and Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

Questions from the second subgroup are more or less the same as the first one, except the question about how to go back home if the worker is still overseas with expired visa or illegal entering

Lastly, the questions from the third subgroup are also more or less as the first one After the group presentation is finished All the questions will be answered in details by the Government Officials from Labor Department, Ministry of Labor and Security and Consulate Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

7 Meeting with Expertise‘s and Senior Lecturers

This is the time for the labor‘s expertise‘s and /or senior lecturers, from the Consulate Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to tell all the Concerned knowledge about the labor‘s law, assistance and their rights to use the facilities that provided by the Government, particularly on how to prepare themselves before going overseas and how to ask for help when facing with the problem(s) while working in overseas

8 Idea Expression and Exchange

The participants have a chance to express their idea as well as suggestion and ask all of the concerned problems that they would like to know

9 Conclusion

The project leader should conclude all of the training activities including the problems from each subgroup and their solution

10 Project Evaluation

The project activities should be evaluated by the participants via

interview and/or questionnaire

11 Report Writing

5 Conclusion and Discussion

The sustainable and effective approach for the labors‘ skill

development and training before going overseas as well as to be used as a master best practice for the others academic extended services, that was set up after the analysis

and exercise practices based on the skill development for I-san labors before overseas working Project could be concluded that learning process for the sustainable and affective approach for the labors‘ skill development and training as well as to be used as a master best practice for the others academic extended services should be composed of the Labors Registration and Screening, Introduction, Project Description, Multimedia Projection, Group Discussion, Group Presentation, Meeting with Expertise‘s and Senior Lecturers, Idea Expression and Exchange, Conclusion, Project Evaluation and Report Writing

The sustainable and affective approach for the labors‘ skill

development and training as well as to be used as a master best practice for the others academic extended services are concentrated directly on

1 Labor, himself or herself The labor‘s laws as well as regulations and

right are understood and also known how to approach to the government‘s assistances and can be well prepare himself or herself to survive under new or different society and culture including how to perform his or her behaviors in proper manner Moreover, the labors know how to directly apply for the overseas jobs via the Labor Department and go to work in overseas by the Government services such as by Government to Government with the Employment Permit System for Foreign Workers (EPS) In addition, knowledge that has been gained can be forwarded to the members of his or her family, relatives, friends etc In terms of right, the labor will know the type and scope of right that he or she can ask for such as if the labors that worked in Israel from 2003-2005, they can ask for tax refund within 6 years That means the labors that worked

in Israel in 2003 can have their right for tax refund within 2009 whereas the labors that worked in Israel in 2004 can have their right for tax refund within 2010 while the labors that worked in Israel in 2005 can have their right for tax refund within 2010 respectively

2 Families It is easier for the family‘s members to make decision on

the working overseas of the labor(s) after the family‘s members have got the knowledge from the training as well as the types and scope of labor right and the risks and also know how to approach to the governments‘ assistance

3 Local Society or Community After training, the knowledge will be

widely distributed among the people not only in the families but also in the community by the words of mount The local authority officer(s) such as Kumnun or Phuyai Ban which has been acted as a leader of the community will become as the knowledge source center and office of the overseas working and closely connected to the local Government Officials in terms of community needs, interested data, information and collaboration

Consequently, the key success factor of this project consists of the close and intensive cooperation among the local and central labors officers, Labor Department, the expertise from the Consular, local Government Officials of the Ministry of Interior, such as the Sheriff and/or the community leader(s), and the Academic Network The activities

should begin with the detailed study and clear cut on situation, problems as well as background information of the labors and the needs of the communities before cooperated with the lecturers as well as the expertise and the related Department

6 References

1 Dusadee Aryuwat et.al (2009) Report on Pilot Project of the Multidisciplinary Skill Development for the Labors before Working in Overseas, Khon Kaen Fcaculty of Humanity and Social Science, Khon Kaen University (in thai)

2 -(2007-2013) Report on the Academic-extended Service on the Skill Development of I-san Labors before Working in Overseas ( Period 1-8) Khon Kaen: Faculty of Humanity and Social Science, Khon Kaen Universisy (in Thai)

3 Academic-extended Services (2013) Follow-up and Evaluation Manual, Academic-extended Service for Society, 2013 Annual Budget, Khon Kaen: Khon Kaen University (in THAI)

In-depth Interview

(17 March 2014) Ban Hin Hueb, Tamboon Phra Yeun, Ampher Phra Yeun, Khon Kaen Province

Boonrieng Chasa-nguan Wanchai Boriboon

Sa-ngob Chanayotha Surapon Keawkerd

Su-pham Ubpanisai Pranee Meesuk

Montri Jamsai Sumroeng Nakratok

(18 March 2014) Ban Nong, BuaTambon Nong Bua, Ampher Kosompisai, Mahasarakham Province

Aim Orn Sukprasert Sudjai Srithep

Malee Jaimun Thawon Kummuang

Nang Noy Chokdee Jumpee Kosummee

Wichien Jaisumreon Jumnong Suksawan