ASEAN collaboration and South-South cooperation agreements drive Cambodia’s commitment to future-ready skills and regional integration under the ASEAN Year of Skills 2025.

PHNOM PENH (ILO News) – With a fast-changing labour market, Cambodia is stepping up efforts to equip its workforce with the skills needed for a digital, green and inclusive economy.

Marking Cambodia’s 8th National Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Day, under the ASEAN Year of Skills 2025, the ILO facilitated a panel of experts to share international learning on the theme of “Modernizing TVET and Skills Development for a future-ready workforce”.  This was followed by the signing of new cooperation agreements between Cambodian and Chinese training institutions to accelerate skills development and TVET capacity building aligned with emerging technologies and industry demands.

Held in Phnom Penh on 15-16 June, the event brought together senior representatives from government, employers, training institutions and international partners. It served as a platform to shape the future direction of Cambodia’s TVET transformation by identifying practical strategies to improve the inclusive access, quality, relevance and outcomes of training through knowledge sharing curriculum reform and the integration of green and digital skills.  The event was supported by Decent Employment for Youth (phase III), funded by the Swiss Development Corporation and ILO-China Skills programme, funded by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China.

The event highlighted successful practices from Malaysia and China, showcasing practical models of institutional partnerships, industry-driven skills development and innovation in training delivery. These examples and the ongoing international collaborations offer valuable insights for Cambodia as it works to enhance the performance of its own skills ecosystem.

“We appreciate the support of the Chinese Government through its South-South Triangle Collaboration with ILO, which has supported TVET capacity building in Cambodia and knowledge exchange between Chinese and Cambodian TVET institutions in areas such as electric vehicles and green technology.  It is critical that the TVET system in Cambodia is well-aligned with emerging technologies to ensure that young people and workers can access the skills to become internationally competitive,” said Xiaoyan Qian, Director of the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific, and Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

A highlight of the event was the signing of three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Cambodian and Chinese counterpart TVET institutions under the ILO–China South-South Cooperation project. These agreements celebrate a new phase of collaborative partnership aimed at enhancing institutional capacity, modernising curricula, promoting joint training initiatives, and enabling knowledge and technology exchange— particularly in areas such as trainer's training, student exchange programmes, and curriculum reform.

The MoUs reflect Cambodia’s commitment to international collaboration and South-South Cooperation as vital tools for modernising its TVET system and building a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready workforce. They also contribute to the shared goals of the ASEAN Year of Skills 2025 by advancing regional cooperation, strengthening institutional linkages, and reaffirming a collective vision for human capital development across ASEAN.

Dr Rony Ambrose Gobilee, Chief Strategy Officer HRD Corporation, representing the Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources under the ASEAN Year of Skills 2025 said, “We congratulate the Royal Government of Cambodia on the event of the 8th National TVET Day, and the TVET partnerships established the ILO-China project.  We look forward to enhancing regional collaboration on this year’s themes of bridging skills gaps, youth empowerment and enhancing workforce resilience.”

ASEAN Year of Skills (AYOS) 2025, under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship, is a year-long initiative to enhance workforce skills, labour mobility and prepare youth for future work opportunities.  AYOS 2025 is spearheaded by the Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR), Malaysia, through its agency Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO).