Recognizing the critical role a well-trained workforce plays in socioeconomic development, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) introduced the Pentagonal Strategy Phase 1 during the 7th legislature of the National Assembly. This strategy emphasizes human capital development as its foremost priority, with “Technical Skills Training” identified as a key component. The goal is to transform Cambodia’s workforce from predominantly labor-intensive to skill-intensive, thereby supporting the nation’s vision of achieving a high-middle-income country by 2030 and becoming a high-income nation by 2050. To address the skills shortages that impede economic progress, the National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia (NPIC) is actively contributing to the development of Cambodia’s workforce. Additionally, NPIC has partnered with both local and international institutions, including the Tianjin Sino-German University of Applied Sciences (TSGUAS). Together, they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Cambodia-Luban Workshop Project, also known as the “Lancang-Mekong Vocational Education Training Center,” to tackle these challenges. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to study the skills shortage and its effects, as well as the contribution of skills development at both the industrial and national levels. This will be achieved using the Ordinary Least-Squares (OLS) regression, which allows for a comprehensive analysis of the economic impacts of skills development initiatives.
References
[1]
Bruni, M., Luch, L., & Kuoch, S. (2013). Skills Shortages and Skills Gaps in the Cambodian Labour Market: Evidence from Employer Skills Needs Survey. ILO Asia Pacific Working Paper. ILO and NEA.
[2]
CDRI (2019). Economic Return to Investment in Education and TVET: Micro and Marco Perspectives. https://cdri.org.kh/publication/economic-return-to-investment-in-education-and-tvet-micro-and-marco-perspectives
[3]
EMC (2014). Survey of ASEAN Employers on Skills and Competitiveness. ILO Asia Pacific Working Paper.
[4]
HRINC (2010). Higher Education and Skills for the Labor Market in Cambodia. HRINC.
[5]
Kuoch, S. (2015). Skills Shortages and Skills Gaps in the Cambodian Labour Market: Evidence from Employer Skills Needs Survey 2014. National Employment Agency.
[6]
Madhur, S. (2014). Cambodia’s Skill Gap: An Anatomy of Issues and Policy Options. Working Paper 98. Cambodia Development Resource Institute.
[7]
RGC (2017). National Policy on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (2017-2025). Royal Government of Cambodia.
[8]
RGC (2023). Pentagonal Strategy-Phase I for “Growth, Employment, Equity, Efficiency, and Sustainability”.
[9]
Roosdiono, A. W. (2012). Cambodia Outlook Brief—Private Sector Participation in Economic Development: Cambodian and Regional Perspectives.
[10]
Roth, V. (2019). Job Prospects for Youth, Low-Skilled and Women Workers in the Greater Mekong Subregion. CDRI.
[11]
Seyhah, V., & V. Naron. (2020). The Contribution of Vocational Skills Development to Cambodia’s Economy. CDRI.
[12]
Smith-Comyn, B. (2011). A Framework for Sustainable TVET Public Private Partnerships in Cambodia.
[13]
Sokheng, S. (2024). NPIC’s GEMSET Application Report.
[14]
Sothy, K., Madhur, S., & Rethy, C. (2015). Cambodia Education 2015 “Employment and Employment”. Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI).
[15]
UNESCO (2020). TVET Country Profile Cambodia.
[16]
World Bank (2018a). Cambodia Economic Update. Recent Economic Development and Outlook.
[17]
World Bank (2018b). The Changing Nature of Work. World Bank.
[18]
World Bank (2018c). Learning to Realize Education’s Promise. World Bank.
