The College of Art, Media and Technology, Chiang Mai University, and Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce have launched the Digital Industry Integration Plus (DII+) programme in two fields—E-Commerce Trader and Digital Business and Marketing—in the form of an education sandbox. The programme is designed in collaboration with entrepreneurs in both academic and professional fields, using the model from Germany and France.
Mr. Julanit Wangviwat, Chairman of the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce, and Assist. Prof. Dr. Worawit Janchai, Dean of CAMT, signed a memorandum of agreement to create the DII+ programme on October 16, 2021, at G’s Park located in Chang Klan, Mueang Chiang Mai. The objectives are to supply a digital workforce that meets the market’s demand for SME entrepreneurs in Chiang Mai, to provide students with the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs for 22 months, and to address educational challenges in the form of an educational sandbox as the national model. The selling point is the fact that participating entrepreneurs will get a 250% tax reduction and personal development support for three years, and the students will receive a stipend of 70,000 baht throughout their study. Students who are currently in or have completed Matthayom 6 are eligible to apply this November via TCAS Round 1 with 60 admission seats. The curriculum is divided into 25% general theory, 50% in-depth theory, and 25% practice for 22 months after passing the selection. The contract must be made between three parties – the entrepreneur, the student and the parents, to practice in the agreed establishment, and the students will earn 5,000 baht a month, or 70,000 in total.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Pradorn Sureephong, Deputy Director of CAMT’s Centre for Digital Reform, has explained that the major change taking place at present is composed of five main factors—environment, economy, society, technology, and the pandemic—resulting in both crisis and opportunities for Thailand. It is crucial to create new tools to drive the economy in a specific way, particularly the incorporation of technology into business reform, which will help entrepreneurs grow. CAMT and Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce believe that the technology-based adaptation, both in terms of workforce and business, will teach learners and businesses to ‘survive’ in the current situation, ‘grow’ after the pandemic, and ‘prosper’ in the future economy.