KSI Solution, a Thai SI company, is a dream organization for interns where everyone will learn through real work.

“We established KSI Solution in 2011 to become a 100% Thai-owned system integrator (SI) company, believing that Thailand's SI industry still has a lot of potential, given its strong export and manufacturing sectors.”

Kanlayanee Kongsomjit, President of KSI Solution Co., Ltd., gave an introduction to the origins and intentions of establishing a Thai System Integrator or SI company, and also provided additional information to highlight the strengths and potential of the Thai industrial sector.

"Today, the manufacturing industry is largely dependent on factories, and spare parts, machinery, and other components are imported from all over the world. Therefore, we should leverage the strengths and expertise of Thais as SIs, particularly in design, and conceptual design for automation and robotic systems for industrial use. This will lead to Thailand's potential for Industry 4.0."

“Furthermore, we position KSI as an Innovation Driven Enterprise (IDE), a leader in leveraging technological innovations, both existing and yet to be realized, to create commercial value as quickly as possible.”

"On the other hand, we envision a scenario where Thailand may no longer need a robotics industry. Instead, we can develop robots from other countries or brands with capabilities such as speaking and reading Thai. This may be a skill that Thais should be further developed. KSI was therefore established to address this challenge."

And from the intention of establishing KSI Solution as a 100% Thai SI company, it is this that continues to expand its business base to meet the needs of the Thai manufacturing industry, with the continuous transformation of the manufacturing process to be modern according to the Industry 4.0 guidelines with technology and innovation such as AI technology, automation systems, and robotics.

From this point on, in addition to KSI Solution gaining customer acceptance, we also have the knowledge, experience, and expertise ready to share with the education sector to jointly produce and develop personnel in the fields of SI and the aforementioned cutting-edge technologies.

In the past, KSI has collaborated with educational institutions in both the vocational and higher education sectors to recruit students for internships at KSI with the concept of "On the job training", which is to provide students with the opportunity to actually work in the fields they have studied. With effective internship experiences, the name KSI Solution has been passed down from generation to generation from intern students at every institution.

Today, Chai Buranajitphirom, CEO of KSI Solution Co., Ltd., came to share his approach and policies for accepting interns, which have made KSI the organization of choice for interns. Here, they will have more than just an "internship" opportunity; they will get to work in real life, surrounded by modern equipment that will pave the way for them to pursue their dream careers in the future.

More than an internship, it's about getting to work in a real environment where seniors teach juniors, continuing to learn essential skills for future careers.

When asked about the qualities of an “intern” that KSI is looking for, Khun Chai clearly stated that:

“The first quality we look for in interns is a “glass half full” attitude, always open to learning new things. When interviewing every intern, we ask the key question: Are you ready to go all out with us?”

"Because KSI is a business with a constant stream of clients and constant requests from clients, we're looking for interns who are ready to work with us. This may involve working overtime, sometimes late at night, or on weekends. This is because clients' machines operate during working hours, which is valuable production time. Therefore, outside of working hours, workers are required to work on the machines for maintenance, which often doesn't coincide with regular holidays."

"During the interview, we'll ask questions to gauge the intern's attitude. We'll ask questions ranging from reasons for choosing this field of study, favorite subjects, to family backgrounds. We'll also ask what they expect from the internship. We want to understand this to help KSI determine what experience, knowledge, or skills they can provide. If the answer is that they want to learn programming and robotics, that's a good fit for their current job, and we'll be able to teach them to the best of our ability."

"In this on-the-job training, we'll teach basic theory, followed by on-the-job training opportunities. Our staff will act as mentors to teach programming skills, robotics, and automation. We'll also provide interns with the opportunity to assist with real-world work, including the opportunity to work on-site for KSI's customers."

"We believe this type of internship will provide students with a sense of challenge. They won't just feel like interns following orders from senior staff, but will also have the opportunity to work on tasks they've been wanting to intern on, such as giving them tasks to write real programs. As mentioned, our internship policy isn't set in stone. Instead, we consider the overall picture and incorporate them into our internship."

"For example, if a student wishes to intern with the goal of using these skills in a real-world job in the future, we will provide them with an internship opportunity that meets their needs. Ultimately, the outcome will meet the needs of both the intern and the company."

“As for the company itself, during the internship period, we learn from the interns and take the opportunity to select those who are ready to become KSI employees. In each batch of 4-6 people, we may encounter one or two “white elephants.” These white elephants aren't trained and ready to work right away. We nurture them and refine them further to develop the skills they need for the future.”

"During the internship period, KSI will provide stipends for the interns, as well as provide accommodation for students from other provinces. In the past, we have taken care of all interns like a senior taking care of a junior. For example, during the COVID-19 outbreak, the company provided medication, food, and water for those who contracted COVID-19 until they recovered."

KSI Solution is ready to collaborate with all levels of education sector to create an effective internship system.

Of course, creating an effective workplace internship system requires cooperation from both the company and the educational sector. KSI Solution has expanded its cooperation to accept interns from both the vocational and higher education sectors. Khun Chai further explained the details of the cooperation with the educational sector, saying:

"We've been working with universities and vocational education institutions, engaging in more discussions to create a new context for workplace internships. For vocational education, we've recruited students to work as team members. For higher education, we've recruited students to work in programming roles, at the manager level."

"We consider both groups of interns important, whether they come from vocational schools or universities. Vocational education is, of course, primarily a hands-on experience. We're currently in discussions with vocational colleges in the Northeast and Eastern regions, in the three EEC provinces."

"And in most collaborations, we sign a memorandum of understanding. It's not just about sending students for internships, but also about training teachers. We also support certain equipment that we believe will be useful for teaching."

Sharing an example of cooperation with Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (RMUTI) in cultivating "intern students" to grow into quality personnel, responding to the development of Thailand's SI industry.

To illustrate his intention to create an effective internship system, Khun Chai cited the collaboration with Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Khon Kaen Campus, as an example of shared success.

"For example, we've been collaborating with Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (RMUTI) Khon Kaen Campus for some time now. Lecturers from the Faculty of Engineering, Department of Intelligent Electronics, select and send interns, approximately 6-10 students, every semester. We've been informed that each year, out of the 40 students in this department, at least 10 wish to intern at KSI. This is because every year, seniors communicate to juniors that internships at KSI offer real-world employment opportunities. If you're interested in working in this field, consider internships at KSI."

"This year, when we interviewed, we selected 4-6 students who we'd like to hire to develop their skills. Many of these students have come from relatively low-income Isaan families, and they represent hope and hope to become the backbone of their families. We want to give these students a chance, as they truly are committed to working in this field. By providing them with both practical and theoretical knowledge, they can leverage that knowledge to benefit themselves and the organization."

"In the past, professors at Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (RMUTI) have been in constant communication and updating students on how their internships are progressing. They've even visited students. This is partly to encourage them to think about how they might apply their internship experiences to their final project. Once a topic is decided, they'll be given three to six months to complete it, and professors will visit to check on the students' progress."

"Recently, we were delighted to receive feedback from teachers that the interns who had interned at KSI had shown significant improvement. They had previously been back-of-the-class students, often disinterested in their studies. However, after their internship at KSI and their final project presentation, they were more outstanding than the other students. This is a positive outcome for the students who had the opportunity to intern and do something they love. They put in the effort and dedication, ultimately achieving excellent results."

"For example, Nong Palm (Phatthawat Chantasen), a student at Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (RMUTI), Khon Kaen Campus, was a quiet student when he interned at KSI. However, when we gave him a task, he was able to complete it all. For example, if he was asked to program a PLC, he could do it. If he was asked to work on CIRA or AI, he could do it. If he was asked to work on an AMR robot, he could do it."

“Once we learned of her determination, we contacted her to discuss her interests. Palm said she wanted to work with 3D Vision AI cameras, a product KSI happens to have. We then presented her with the task of developing a 3D Vision AI camera to help sort products in the truck bed. One of the most satisfying projects she has completed for KSI is the development of a 3D Vision AI camera to sort "See Fah" brand gold rolls, sorting broken rolls from perfect ones. Our customers are very satisfied with this project.”

"Once we knew he could perform like this, we had to consider which career path we could best support him in. In the technology sector, 3D Vision AI cameras are gaining popularity across industries and will continue to be used more in the future. We're training him to excel in this area."

"At KSI, we don't train people to know everything. We develop people in a way that allows them to truly understand specific areas. For Palm, after completing his internship, we asked him if he wanted to continue working. He accepted, so we hired him as an engineer at KSI. We're also currently enhancing his soft skills in presentation skills."

"Today, in collaboration with Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (RMUTI), Khon Kaen Campus, we work as partners. Each year, professors recommend KSI as an organization worth interning at. They offer internships where students have the opportunity to truly apply the skills they've learned. Furthermore, KSI excels in a fun work environment, as we work as a team and are well-cared for."

Phatthawat Chanthasen (Palm), an engineer at KSI Solution who has now graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Department of Intelligent Electronics, Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Khon Kaen Campus, shared his experience of interning and being given the opportunity to work as an employee at KSI.

"The skills I learned during this course involved programming various robotics and automation systems. The program requires one year of university study and one year of internship. Since I graduated with a vocational certificate, I only completed two years of bachelor's degree study before graduation. Personally, I had a passion for programming, so I chose this field of study. When I did my internship, I wanted the opportunity to work on electrical programming for machinery and automation."

“My first impression of interning at KSI was the friendly and willingness of the seniors to teach me. No matter what I asked, they were happy to answer. And they were all very knowledgeable. They always offered to learn about this topic with me today, without me even asking.”

“The area of practical learning and hands-on experience I had was using the 3D Vision AI program to design a production quality control system. When my internship ended, KSI offered to work at KSI. I was thrilled because I got a job right after graduation, which was good for both me and my family. I was able to earn money to support my family in the provinces.”

"If a junior asks me where I should intern today, I'd recommend KSI. Interning here gives me the opportunity to work in a real-world field related to my studies. The seniors here are friendly, making the work experience enjoyable. They also support me in developing my potential, not just professional skills, but also life and work skills. They teach all of that."