Ministry: Youths need more technical skills

AT A Tuesday meeting with the executive director of the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI), Pech Sokhem, Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Ith Sam Heng urged Cambodian youths to learn technical skills.

Sam Heng also requested the CDRI to open more Technical Vocational Education and Training ( TVET) institutes and said it should conduct studies on how to best implement government plans and policies related to human resource development.

He said technical training and professional sectors needed to respond to the requirements of the present and future labour market.

“The ministry will promote these sectors by strengthening the National Training Board, expanding and strengthening government working groups and empowering the private sector and its partners.

“We will a lso continue to promote strategic plans for developing t he labour sector and professiona l technica l training by lay ing out a master plan to ensure the capacit y and efficiency of t he 38 institutes under t he minist r y,” he said.

Sam Heng encouraged those i n t he private sector to invest in t he educationa l sector to help it open more TVET institutes.

“We encourage high school graduates to learn professional skills which can land them a job. They can also pursue bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees,” he said.

He said t he Cambodia market requires a strong labour force but youths don’t seem interested enough in TVET programmes.

Sokhem said CDRI will continue to cooperate with the ministr y to support the TVET sector.