“I think I can cook for a living,” said a 42-year-old father of three, referred to by the alias “Nont”, as he practised making dumplings at the 310th Military Circle’s Wiwat Phonlamueang School in Tak province. Instead of going to jail, he was sent to the school to undergo drug rehabilitation, as the court resolved to give opportunities to drug abusers who have not committed serious offences.

Designed to help addicts kick their habit, the rehabilitation programme takes four months. To help drug abusers find proper occupations, the programme includes one month of vocational training.

Nont is among those registered for dumpling-making course.

“Dumplings are easy to make and only require a small investment fund and a few tools, so I think I can make a living out of this,” Nont said.

Pae, 22, (not his real name) is also very happy about the vocational training during his drug-rehabilitation programme. “While I am cooking, there’s nothing else in my head. I can only feel happiness,” he said.

He has been training at a big restaurant in Tak’s Muang district for three days to learn how to prepare and cook steaks from scratch.

Lamphun province native Joe, 23, (not his real name) said he loved working at a restaurant and cooking, so this would be his future job.

Both Pae and Joe had one week left on the programme before going home.

The vocational training method is seen as being not only good for the participants and their families but also the country. The Quality Learning Foundation (QLF) now plans to join hands with the Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna Tak in organising vocational training, not just for drug-rehabilitation participants but also decommissioned reserve officers.

The pilot scheme is also being used to study the potential of vocational development guidelines for people at all ages, so as to support the development aspects of the proposed special economic zone.

‘Overjoyed to help trainees’

“We present vocational skills for 12 jobs in the scheme including builders, machinists, welders, electricians, air-condition repairmen, audio system installation and repair mechanics, truck drivers, executive chauffeurs, automobile mechanics, bakers, organic vegetable |farmers, steak cooking, and snacks-making.”

There are more than 100 trainees.

“We think these skills are necessary and useful for the expansion of the Tak special economic zone,” said university lecturers’ representative Supornrat Watcharanarumol. “We are happy to see the trainees focused and enjoying the training. I heard some also want to make a living at home using these skills, so we are overjoyed to help give them career options.”

The school’s director, Colonel Wachirawit Sarikanon, said the institute, established in 2006, had its own vocational training but welcomed the QLF scheme. “We allow the trainees to sell steaks and snacks during the visiting day and they made thousands of baht,” he added.

Prapat Chueathai, Rajamangala University of Technology’s deputy rector, said those serving in the military via the draft accounted for 30 per cent of working-age men in the country, so if they had increased vocational options in line with the development of areas of the country, it could stimulate the economies of their hometowns.

The scheme has a follow-up programme to aid trainees including helping them secure a vocation, he said.