Businesses hiring 1,700 students for school break

PHUKET: More than 1,700 students can spend their school break earning a wage and gaining experience in a program arranged by the government’s Employment Department.

Waranon Pitiwan, the department’s director-general, said 243 businesses have offered to temporarily take on 1,760 students aged 15 and up, in jobs such as customer service, cashiers and sales assistants.

They include Ek-Chai Distribution Systems (which runs the Lotus shopping centres), Yum Restaurants International Thailand (KFC restaurants), Nopparod (Santa Fe restaurants), MT Thongpunchang Group (Swensen cafes), Hot Pot Restaurant, MK Restaurant, CP All (7-Eleven stores) and Central Food Retail.

Several state agencies are also hiring young people for the school break.

Mr Waranon said the public-sector employers would pay 300 baht a day for at least seven hours of work per day, excluding breaks, and 150 baht for half-days. The private sector pays 40 baht per hour up to four hours a day during the school term and up to seven hours during the break.

“Working during the school break or in their free time during school gives students valuable training, instills a sense of self-pride, teaches responsibility and patience and makes constructive use of their free time,” Mr Waranon said.

“It helps ease their parents’ financial burden, while the actual experience the young people gain helps them assess their aptitudes and prepare to enter the labor market after graduation.”

Students interested in joining the program can contact the Phuket Employment Office or call 1694.

— The Nation