The Ministry of Education and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on Thursday led a Youths and Technology conference in collaboration with schools to instil the importance of digital learning to fully prepare students for the workforce.
Minister of Education Hang Chuon Naron said at the conference, which was joined by the National University of Management (NUM) and Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC), that the government has plans to transform the Kingdom into an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and high-income country by 2050.
“With this in mind, the aim of this conference is to prepare youths in this digital age to find success. I would like to thank the NUM, the ITC and UNDP for collaborating to hold this conference.
“It will help to inform youths of what qualities they need to acquire so they are prepared in response to the government’s vision,” he said.
Chuon Naron said the ministry was prepared for the digital age and that over the past six years, it has carried out an agenda of education reforms in primary and secondary schools.
It has established New Generation Schools, introduced science and technology curricula and invested much more in universities.
“Digital education aims to use technologies to solve economic and social problems, especially in preparation for creating smart cities and buildings,” he said.
He advised youths to use technology and acquire knowledge and life skills to solve problems and be leaders. He said youths must know how to work as groups and use digital tools.
“Cambodia needs human resources of high quality that can compete with other countries in the region.
“Our education policies aim to do whatever is possible for youth to prepare them with knowledge, life skills and good conduct. They must be good citizens to contribute to the development of the economy and society,” he said.
He said in the new age, new skills quickly become outdated and disappear, so youth have a responsibility to stay up to date with the latest technologies in order to further their capacity and contribute to national development.
NUM director Hor Peng said nearly 2,000 students attended the conference from various state and private educational institutions.
He said the conference aimed to share new trends of technological development, advances in digital economy technologies and the potential for their use in the labour market.
“This conference also aims to share some relevant information and practical knowledge to students. They have an interest in understanding how to create digital programmes. The ministry is paying attention by preparing new study programmes,” he said.
