Microsoft and academic institutions in Thailand come together to address gaps between skills needed to drive economic growth and existing workforce talent
BANGKOK, 22 May 2015 – Microsoft (Thailand) Limited today announces 10 leading schools and universities in Thailand as the first group to benefit from the Student Advantage program. Through Student Advantage, the 10 educational institutions in Thailand, comprising schools and universities, that provide Office for staff and faculty can also avail their students with Office 365 ProPlus, the same set of world-class productivity tools and services used by Fortune 500 companies, at no additional cost. Students now gain advantages from access to Office 365 ProPlus across all their personal devices (or up to five PCs or Macs), on- and offline, at school and at home.
According to an IDC study, employers are looking for candidates that have 20 specific skills for high-growth, high-wage occupations. Proficiency with Microsoft Office is ranked third on this list, with proficiency with PowerPoint and Word specifically highlighted at #11 and #13 on the list. In fact, Microsoft Office skills were sought after five times more than any other productivity tools.[1]
Student Advantage is created to empower today’s students with technological skills they need for tomorrow’s workforce. To date, more than 77,000 Thai students have benefited from Student Advantage and the program’s benefits continue to be well-received by faculty and students. The leading schools and universities to benefit from Student Advantage are:
- University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce
- Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University
- Stamford International University (Thailand)
- Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)
- Bangkok Christian College
- Bangkok Patana School
- Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary School
- NIST International School
- Saint Gabriel’s College
- St. Andrews International School Bangkok
Office 365 is the productivity tool for the world of education, matching the anywhere, anytime learning environments of today. Office 365 ProPlus includes all of the familiar and professional-grade Office applications like Word, PowerPoint and OneNote. The program also includes Office Online and 1TB of storage on OneDrive for Business to support all of the productivity and creativity that 21st century learning can unleash, in a safe and secure environment. Students and educators can take advantage of Office apps like Lync to communicate and collaborate instantaneously. With OneNote, teachers can share lesson plans, class notes, photos, and ideas on any device, accessible from anywhere.
All of these tools meet Microsoft’s rigorous standards for security and unwavering commitment to protect the privacy of young people. Today, Student Advantage is currently available to more than 35,000 educational institutions worldwide, and the Office 365 ProPlus benefit could reach more than 20 million students globally in 2015.
Haresh Khoobchandani, Managing Director, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited, said “Emerging economies will have about 63 million more students in higher education in 2025 than they did in 2012, which represents a huge amount of talent and potential that can be harnessed to drive economic growth. By 2025, emerging economies will produce nearly 16 million graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields annually, which will be nearly 5 times greater than the 3.3 million per year from developed countries. This skills gap, defined by the need in developed countries for appropriately skilled workers, will set the stage for fierce competition for technology talent.
Thailand is projected to be a top 5 country in STEM graduates, with 74% projected growth rate by 2025. Our education programs launched in Thailand since our existence 20 years ago have proven effective to bring Thai students’ IT skills up to global standards. With our Student Advantage program, and through our partnerships with academic institutions in Thailand, we are expanding the very potential of education to provide a solid foundation in the 21st century skills that employers need, that Thailand in the Digital Economy era needs.”
Dr. Jomkwan Polpasri, Assistant President, Information and Communication Technology, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said, “Microsoft’s Student Advantage program is the result of collaboration between Microsoft and UTCC to create good governance and empower Thai education. We support the use of genuine software, and realize that in addition to imparting knowledge and skills, we need to set a good example to students on the use of genuine software. One of the benefits of this program is availing the use of genuine software to our lecturers and students. Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus is an essential tool in our teaching and learning processes as the university endeavors to further the development of education, and more than 90 percent of students will be able to secure jobs and success upon graduation. It is the responsibility of academic institutions to seek innovation in order to empower youths and students in the future. UTCC is committed to creating awareness and encouraging the use of genuine software and IT among students, which are important elements to achieve future success, especially in the digital economy era.”
Dr. Woranoot Triwichitkasem, School Director, Bangkok Christian College, said “Raising education levels alone is not enough to address the gap in skills development necessary for tomorrow’s workforce. Education and training curricula have to dovetail with industry needs, and it is crucial that these efforts start with the young in order to lay a strong foundation for skilled human capital. Through the Student Advantage program, our teachers are using the same technology and features as their students, and be able to leverage productivity tools such as Office to enhance the way we teach, communicate and collaborate.”
To learn more about how academic institutions can sign up for and benefit from this program, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/th-TH/default.aspx or contact Mr. Thanachart Vivattanaputi ([email protected]).
[1] New study reveals most important skills for students
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About Microsoft Thailand
Established in 1993, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited aims to Make 70 Million Lives Better by enabling Thai people and businesses to realize their full potential through technology that transforms the way people work, play, and communicate. We offer software, services, and devices that deliver new opportunities, greater convenience, and enhanced value to people’s lives. Working with communities and the Thai government, Microsoft and its partners are committed to working closely with organizations and people across Thailand to fully harness the power of technology and innovation.
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