Firms in govt programme to continue hiring

The 80 financially ailing companies that are participating in the government's careertraining programme can continue hiring 50,000 workers, Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu said yesterday.

Under the Career Seedling project initiated by the Democrat Party to which Korbsak belongs, those companies have pledged not to lay off workers within one year.

The oneyear scheme is now in its third month.

Korbsak said Bt7 billion more would be allocated to this project on top of its Bt6billion initial appropriation if the budget bill is passed as expected.

He pleaded with the public and the media not to criticise the project, saying that more than 200,000 people had signed up for vocational training courses and more assistance programmes would be ready to help the recently unemployed.

The project has the backing of business and the private sector, including the Federation of Thai Industries, which provided Bt500 million to support it.

The Career Seedling project initially focuses on giving courses in exports and small and medium enterprises.