Thailand faces a skills crisis, with a very large proportion of youth and adults whose foundational skills are below threshold levels, meaning they cannot perform basic reading and computing tasks and do not show tendencies to engage with others or to be open to explore new ideas. There is a need to improve the entire ecosystem of skills development, given the skills crisis is an outcome of the lifecycle investments in foundational skills, starting from early childhood until adulthood. There are many ways to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity in fostering foundational skills by delivering evidence-based programs and involving emerging transformers from the public, private, and non-government sectors.
This World Bank clip looks at the lack of foundational skills in Thailand, a middle income country, noting that a lack of literacy and basic digital skills means that some people lack human capital, and if it wants to develop, it will need to tackle this with the help of the World Bank.Â