“Ideas” and “Creativity” are the endless powers that the new generation, or Digital Generation, possesses. The perspectives and works of the “Digital Gen” can be leveraged to drive social change.

Recently, CP ALL Public Company Limited, the founder of 7-Eleven in Thailand, in collaboration with the Thai Webmaster Association, Siam Commercial Bank, and Panyapiwat Institute of Management (PIM) organized the “15th Young Webmaster Camp” under the theme “Digital Innovation Driving Thailand into the Future”. This camp delved into the webmaster profession, providing a platform for students passionate about website creation to receive training and hands-on experience in website development, while learning new techniques from industry experts and renowned speakers, showcasing their ideas and works.

For this year's competition, the awards were divided into 5 categories: 1. CP ALL Social Innovation Award (3 awards), 2. Best Team Work, 3. Best Imagination, 4. Best Innovation, and 5. The Winner. The team that won The Winner award this year was Team C, which created a comprehensive service for renting fancy and evening dresses under the website name “RARTY”.

Jake - Mr. Arin Chaiyasanthipong, a Web Programmer from Team C, the winners of The Winner award, discussed the concept behind the website “RARTY”. He noted that one of the societal issues is that when there are parties or themed events, attendees often struggle to find outfits. The team believed that developing a website for renting outfits would effectively meet the needs of this group. After identifying the concept, they conducted further research and found that such websites were lacking, leading them to believe that creating one could be a viable business opportunity. The website would aggregate various rental shops for different types of outfits, such as fancy dresses, evening gowns, swimwear, etc., clearly categorizing them for easy search. The website's revenue would come from a percentage of the participating shops.

“Even though the project has concluded and the team has won The Winner award, we still have ideas to further develop this model together to create a new business that meets current customer demands,” Jake stated.

Another noteworthy award mentioned at the event was the CP ALL Social Innovation Award, given to websites that benefit society. This year, three teams received this award: 1. Team F developed the website “Dreamand”, a donation platform to help underprivileged children; 2. Team H with the website “ONCE A NATIVE”, which offers local travel experiences in Thailand; and 3. Team B with the website “KIDS2MAX”, which aggregates learning courses for children.

Gai-Ou - Ms. Panlaksana Techasriamornrat, a representative from Team F, one of the recipients of the CP ALL Social Innovation Award for their work titled “Dreamand”, explained that the website was created with the intention of helping the many orphans and underprivileged children in Thai society. Thus, this website serves as a medium for society to share stories about these children. Children who pass the team's vetting process will be included in campaigns for assistance, allowing the public to help these children conveniently and quickly.

“Although there are currently agencies that specifically care for these children, many underprivileged children still do not receive help. We created this website to provide another channel for society to deliver assistance to these children,” Gai-Ou stated.

Ms. Methapriya Kamnoonwut, Project Manager of the “15th Young Webmaster Camp,” commented on the overall event, noting that the works of the participants showed clear development from previous camps, with detailed planning and improved foundational skills. Additionally, it was evident that the participants recognized real societal issues and could commendably present these problems, such as the plight of underprivileged children still awaiting support.

           “I must admit that today’s youth are much more capable. What we aim to help them with is teamwork, as besides the technology (Hard Skills) that they can learn and research independently, working with others (Soft Skills) is another crucial aspect that everyone must possess when they graduate and enter the workforce,” Ms. Methapriya added.

Each year, the judging criteria focus on whether the website can be developed into a viable project. The balance between Hard Skills and Soft Skills significantly impacts the distinctiveness and completeness of the work within the limited timeframe.

The Young Webmaster Camp is another initiative under CP ALL’s educational promotion policy aimed at developing youth. The program seeks to equip participants with comprehensive knowledge in website development, enabling them to apply this knowledge in their careers while nurturing the seeds of the future to grow into quality personnel in society, generating ideas that transform and propel Thailand into the future.

Thank you for the information from www.cpall.co.th