Cambodia, UK partner to bolster vocational training and workforce skills

The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and the UK Skills Partnership (UKSP) have formed a partnership to promote cooperation in human resources and skills development, aimed at boosting workforce productivity and cultivating skills needed for emerging and upcoming economic sectors in Cambodia.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Exchange and Cooperation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) was signed in Phnom Penh yesterday by Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Heng Sour and Jonathan Ledger, an international specialist in TVET at the UK Skills Partnership, in the presence of Dominic Williams, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Cambodia.

The MoU creates a framework for strengthened collaboration in skills development, TVET, and workforce preparation.

Under the three-year agreement, the two parties aim to enhance bilateral cooperation and mutual support in TVET and skills development, while promoting effective collaboration in vocational training and skills. The partnership is expected to contribute to human resource development, national economic growth, and citizens’ well-being.

The MoU also covers mutually beneficial and financially sustainable cooperation, including the exchange of ideas and experiences through discussions, the sharing of expertise to demonstrate the value of investing in skills development, and collaboration on innovation to improve the quality of TVET and workforce skills.

Sour warmly welcomed Dominic Williams and Jonathan Ledger, expressing his deep appreciation for the United Kingdom’s longstanding support to Cambodia, especially in the fields of education, vocational training, trade, and investment, as well as the UK’s aid to Cambodia during its transition from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.

Through this MoU, Cambodia will be able to host more experts and skills development programmes and strengthen links with world-class experts and institutions from the United Kingdom, he said.

“This cooperation will help improve the quality of TVET training and Cambodia’s workforce skills, enabling them to better meet the needs of the private sector and support economic development,” Sour added.

Ambassador Williams said that education plays a crucial role in Cambodia’s development, particularly in improving workforce productivity and equipping people with the skills needed to develop new and emerging economic sectors that will support Cambodia’s continued progress.

During the meeting held prior to the signing ceremony, Sour and Williams also exchanged views on strengthening bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to building long-term partnerships, particularly in vocational training and skills development. 

Source: Khmer Times