New Polytech course puts fresh air into technical training
New Polytech course puts fresh air into technical training
Air-conditioning distributor NCD Import-Export Company announced last week it will work with the Polytechnic College in Vientiane to train students in air-conditioner maintenance and repair, as part of an effort to upskill the Lao workforce.
Under the agreement, the company will be responsible for providing educational aids such as air-conditioning units to the college for students to use during their studies.
In turn, the college will be responsible for preparing and offering courses focused on fixing and installing air-conditioners, as well as providing students to train.
The seven-year project aims to provide training in environmentally-friendly air-conditioner maintenance and repair techniques, while improving workers knowledge and skills to meet societal demand and help boost national socio-economic growth.
NCD Director, Mr Southasen Boulom, and Polytechnic College Director, Mr Phongsavat Ounepomany, signed an agreement in relation to the cooperation project in Vientiane on Wednesday, with Ministry of Education and Sports Department of Technical and Vocational Education Director General, Mr Nouphan Outsa, presiding over the ceremony.
Mr Nouphan said the collaboration between the college and the company would raise the standard of the Lao workforce, helping candidates compete for jobs not only within the country, but also in other countries' job markets.
“Training in work and maintenance techniques for air-conditioners will also help improve students' chances of establishing their own business in the future,” he said.
The project is in line with national education policies, which aim to develop and integrate different methods of vocational training into the education system, creating curriculums which suit different industry sectors.
Mr Nouphan said he stro ngly believed students who participated in the project would secure good jobs in the future and become a resource in the socio-economic development of the nation to match other countries in the region and worldw ide.
Currently, about 800 students are undertaking studies in the field of electricity at the college, some of whom will be dispatched to train with NCD.
Further cooperation between the two groups can be introduced to the project by mutual agreement between the two parties.
In an interview with the Vientiane Times on Thursday, Mr Southasen said his company would take on some students after they had graduated.
“We are very happy to be part of human resource development in the field of air-conditioning work and maintenance techniques,” he said.
Mr Southasen said the company was the Lao executive agent of Gree Electric Appliances, a China-based enterprise which claims to be the world's largest specialised air-conditioner service.
He said with the new cooperative project, NCD could focus on providing better service to customers who had purchased their products.
According to Mr Southasen, the company's wide range of products are installed at a number of important buildings in Vientiane, including the Don Chan Palace Hotel, the Presidential Office, the Military Technical School at Km21, the Banque Franco-Lao office and the That Luang Marsh Paradise City Office Building.
The company has seen steady growth since it was established in 2009, with headquarters located on Sailom Road in Hadsadyneua village, Chanthabouly district, Vientiane.
vientiane times
