SAN JOSE, California — Cow herder Mom Phoeun, teacher Ky Bun Heang and bank manager Miss Chea Lida never failed to recognize the power of vocational education in Cambodia when they were growing up, and it has now helped shape their lives to become completely self-reliant.
Social protection has gained national attention in Cambodia, especially in terms of re-establishing the country’s economy from the negative effects of COVID-19 and the Ukraine war. Per the 2022 report from the United Nations Development Plan, the poverty rate is expected to increase by 0.2% and the unemployment rate may decelerate by 0.33% in 2023 in the absence of social protection measures.
Vocational education in Cambodia has an enormous potential to contribute towards social protection as it calls for a deliberate investment in education and well-being of the people of Cambodia (also declared as the first priority of Budget 2023, by the Cambodian Government).
SimplyHelp Foundation Came to Aid During Early 2000
The SimplyHelp Foundation, in consultation with the United Nations Economic Council, instituted two major vocational programs in Cambodia in 2001 to help people in rural areas. The SimplyHelp Tailoring School, a mobile school, opened in 2002 and visited poor villages to spend two hours every week. “Train the trainer” methodology was used to ensure there is no gap in class sessions. In the village of Krang, for example, within three months after graduation, approximately 13% of the graduates established small businesses in their local towns — graduates with their own businesses increase their average income by $1.00– $6.00 per day than if they were to earn without completing the training.
The SimplyHelp Cambodia Computer School was the second program introduced. It provided high-quality training to 100 participants once every three months. There were approximately 2,800 graduates of this program as of 2010.
Cambodia’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
Cambodia’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Policy was formally approved by the government in 2017 and is primarily managed by the Ministry of Labor & Vocational Training (MLVT). TVET programs contribute to the improvement in economic competitiveness, diversification and upskilling of the existing labor force.
There are formal and non-formal TVET programs. Three programs are offered as part of the formal education — TVET program, Vocational Diploma and TVET program at the tertiary level, each having specific requirements to qualify, taking about two to four years to complete. At the end of the training, students are able to gain knowledge in fields such as computer technology, agricultural/mechanical/electrical/civil engineering and skills relevant to the application of these fields.
Non-formal TVET is a bit less structured, although the training is offered in a wide range of courses like agriculture, construction, motor repairs and basic food processing skills. National Training Fund, Voucher Skills Training Program (VSTP) and Prime Minister’s Special Fund are some of the non-formal TVETs offered in the country.
Students are incentivized to take advantage of these programs to balance the demand for skilled labor in the market. In the year 2020–2021, approximately 20,000 TVET scholarships were granted in the field of engineering and technology.
Private Sector Welcomes Vocational Education in Cambodia
The government supports the private sector through the Skill Development Fund (SDF) to provide financial assistance for training preparedness and skills development courses. Examples are the Textile and Tourism sectors, where training is offered for workers who need to learn specialized skills. In a recent graduation ceremony (2023) at the National Technical Training Institute (NTTI), more than 5,000 teachers and students in the Textile, Tourism and Hospitality sectors were offered diplomas in recognition of their completion of vocational training. The employability of these students dramatically increases in these sectors post-training completion. As an example, the secretary-general of the Textile, Apparel, Footwear & Travel Goods Association in Cambodia (TAFTAC), indicated that vocational training is the first of the five strategic mechanisms in the sector’s strategic plan for 2022–2027.
Skills Development Program & Green TVET Offer a Glimpse Into the Future
Training the workforce for sustainable and inclusive development in Cambodia has been gaining attention in recent months. According to the secretary of state H.E. Dr Pich Sophoan, Green TVET enhances the knowledge and skills necessary to meet current and future socio-economic and ecological challenges. The “Greening the Campus” campaign was implemented at vocational schools in five northeastern Cambodian provinces this year. The ‘Skills Development Program’ (SDP) is led by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). SDP’s goal is to help the disadvantaged low-skilled workers in 10 rural provinces gain access to employment through TVET. Phase 1 (2016–2020) generated 3913 graduates, out of which 88% were successfully employed at the end of the program. Phase 2 (2020–2024) is targeting to reach more than 12,000 people in these regions, out of which about 93% are expected to be poor and disadvantaged youth.
An Optimistic Outlook
The impact the global economic slowdown has had on the country’s exports, tourism and construction sectors has called for a greater demand of a skilled labor force. The need for vocational education in Cambodia has been great in the post-COVID-19 era, and the low-income people of Cambodia are better positioned to take advantage of these opportunities now than ever before.
– Sudha Krishnaswami
Photo: Flickr