Cambodia : With a cost of $60 million, The Asian Development Bank (ADB) yesterday announced a new project which will run from 2019 to 2024 to develop the local labour force through vocational training. The project was revealed during a meeting between Labour Minister Ith Sam Heng and Jan Hansen, ADB’s country director, in Phnom Penh.
“ADB is planning a new project to help us improve our competitiveness,” Mr Sam Heng said. “It will focus on vocational training, which is important for the development and diversification of our industry.
“It will increase the competitiveness of our people. Integration into the Asean Economic Community and globalisation demand that we upskill our labour force through vocational training,” he said.
During their meeting, Mr Sam Heng and Mr Hansen discussed progress of an ongoing ADB project on vocational education and training, which is costing the development bank $45 million.
“The project, which started in 2015, will end in 2021. I can see that a lot of progress has been made already,” the minister said.
Pav Sina, president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, said initiatives like this are needed to develop the local labour force. “Cambodia still has few skilled workers. The assistance of our development partners is necessary to help us improve our competitivess,” he said.
Mr Sina urged the government and the private sector to work together to develop the country’s human capital.
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