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Cambodia: Skills gap to be addressed by public-private sector initiative
The pillars of agriculture, manufacturing and tourism remaining key contributors to Cambodia’s growth in the post-war era has led to a skill gap emerging, that if not addressed, may compound and make the Kingdom less competitive in the global market, according to experts. “While 98 percent of children are now enrolled in primary school, many students drop out before finishing school [because of] lack of funding or low [perceptions] for economic returns [related to] education. Only about 30 percent of youths complete high school, constraining economic transformation,” the Asia Development Bank (ADB) said in a study of Cambodia’s skills gaps.
ADB found that more than four out of 10 young workers “lacked sufficient education to perform well at their jobs”.
The skills gap forces the workforce to enter the informal economy, where legal protections are low and tax avoidance is high, particularly among micro-size business enterprises, according to the ADB.
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport is partnering with the private sector to help address the existing skills gap. Most recently, the ministry collaborated with the International Business Chamber of Cambodia, MyTEB and the Australian Centre for Education (ACE) to encourage capacity building during the pandemic.
“Companies today are looking for strong technical, language and communication skills, not to mention competence in softer skills areas such as problem solving, team work, project management and planning,” Andrew Millar, the Business Development, Training & Testing coordinator for ACE, told Khmer Times.
“There has been consistent underinvestment in many skills areas across all sectors. If there has been a silver lining to the pandemic, it has forced organizations and individuals to pivot, adapt and adopt new technologies at an accelerated rate. Enforced upskilling of young people and investment in hardware can only be a good thing,” Millar added.
A multilateral partnership, with support from MyTEB and ACE, will see students submit short form video clips for the IBC Cambodia Youth Multimedia Competition 2021.
Millar, who is one of the panelists judging the competition, explained that students across the Kingdom are encouraged to share a one-minute video on the skills they have used and developed to help them cope and continue learning during the pandemic.
Emphasis will be placed not only on use of technology, but also on activities undertaken at home, or in the community, while schools have been closed. Those include drawing, painting, sculpture or gardening, Millar explained.
Prizes for the competition include trophies, certificates, tablets, netbooks, webcams and one-year ACE scholarships that are valued at $1,000 each.
The deadline for submissions is next Friday, June 25 and winners will be announced on World Youth Skills Day on July 15. To submit your video, IBC website or Facebook page at www.ibccambodia.com.
Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50876797/skills-gap-to-be-addressed-by-public-private-sector-initiative/