A trainer and participants during an electrical studies session. TVET
Economists in Cambodia advocate for an extensive technical and vocational training (TVET) policy, aiming to enhance local skills and entice industrial investors from developed countries to the nation.
Human capital plays a vital role in the government’s Pentagonal Strategy, and implementing a national TVET policy ranks high among its priorities.
“Singapore has maintained a TVET policy for nearly four decades, while Cambodia has recently initiated its own TVET policy. This marks a crucial start, an essential beginning to enhance the national economy through the development of domestic production skills,” remarked Ky Sereyvath, an economics researcher at the Royal Academy of Cambodia.
He explained that the policy was implemented as a means to provide long-term economic benefits. This approach has the potential to attract foreign investors and foster the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the nation’s industrial and manufacturing sectors.
“In the past, our deficiency in technical and vocational skills hindered our ability to attract substantial foreign investments. Despite government efforts to offer tax exemptions and other incentives, the lack of a skilled workforce remained a significant obstacle,” he stated.
He added that the introduction of a national TVET policy aligns with the government’s strategy to attract investments from developed countries. This also underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing skills and human capital in preparation for such investments.
“Investment from industrial players in China, India, Russia and other developed nations has been steadily moving into developing countries. Consequently, Cambodia must seize this opportunity to attract these investments and the accompanying economic resources, thereby enhancing the professional capabilities of its workforce,” he asserted.
Sereyvath urged individuals facing economic hardship, as well as the broader public, to embrace technical and vocational training. This, he said, would enhance their skills, enabling them to join an evolving workforce and access employment prospects in key sectors, ultimately leading to higher incomes.
Chheng Kimlong, director of the Asian Vision Institute’s (AVI) Centre for Governance Innovation and Democracy, also highlighted the significance of TVET. He underlined its role in empowering economically disadvantaged individuals, allowing them to attain the necessary skills to meet labour market demands and secure better standards of living.
“Enhancing technical and vocational skills provides individuals with a means to address economic challenges. This process equips them with updated skills and knowledge relevant to current employment conditions,” he explained.
He said TVET encompassed three primary objectives: Enhancing existing skills, imparting new skills and developing additional competencies. These constitute the principal aims of the national initiative, urging vigilance towards future-oriented training.
“If Cambodia excels in this training, it will enhance its appeal to foreign investors, and we will be well-prepared with a skilled workforce,” he added.
Prime Minister Hun Manet announced that the government’s policy aims to offer tuition-free TVET at state institutions to approximately 1.5 million young people from disadvantaged households throughout the country starting November 14.
Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Heng Sour recently said that his ministry, in collaboration with partner institutions, is fully prepared to establish mechanisms, set targets and define enrolment methods for students.
“We have selected 10 sectors and identified 38 priority skills as our initial efforts to meet market demands, and on November 4, we concluded the recruitment of 248 trainers,” he said.
