Winners of the inaugural Cambodia Skills Challenge Innovation Call announced

Cambodia and UN step up efforts to support the digital transformation of skills sector as well as lessen the digital divide

Press release | 05 February 2021


The Call is an initiative of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and the United Nations in Cambodia, with the support of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and Government of People’s Republic of China.

It encouraged eligible institutions to propose innovative solutions to address digital challenges faced by technical and vocational training institutes as well as help Cambodia build back in the post COVID-19 period. The Innovation Call has identified three promising and innovative projects that will contribute to providing young Cambodians, especially those most affected by COVID-19, with opportunities to acquire skills that lead to decent jobs as well as accredited certificates.

The three winning entries are:

1st place winning entry (an award of USD 50,000): École d'Hôtellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrule, a hospitality and tourism vocational school. Ecole Paul Dubrule will digitalize the ASEAN curriculum for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in hospitality and tourism; develop a Learning Management System (LMS) and a blended Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment package; and facilitate e-pedagogy training.

2nd place winning entry (an award of USD 30,000): The National Committee for Tourism Professionals (NCTP) of the Ministry of Tourism. NCTP will develop a blended Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) platform.

3rd place winning entry (an award of USD 20,000): The Department of Labour Market Information (DLMI) of the Directorate General of Technical Vocational Education and Training (DGTVET). DLMI will develop digital marketing platforms and campaigns.

I strongly believe that the three wining projects of the 1st Cambodia Skills Challenge Innovation Call will contribute to the development of the TVET sector, which plays a crucial role in the socio - economic development of the country as well as in the creation of decent employment opportunities and advancement of livelihoods,” said H.E Dr. Ith Samheng, Minister of Labour and Vocational Training.

Education is a human right. Every single Cambodian should have access to education, whether formal, informal, vocational or technical. Ensuring access to quality education is the best preparation to succeed in the world of work. It is also vital in building forward better from the pandemic. Investing in human resource development as a pillar of economic recovery guarantees that no one will be left behind,” said UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Pauline Tamesis.

“The move towards digitization of the world of work has been going on for some time. As a result, there is strong need to seek and promote innovative solutions that contribute to digitalization of learning content and skills development platforms. There is also an opportunity for us to narrow the gap between those benefitting from digitalization and those at risk of being left behind,” said Mr. Graeme Buckley, Director of the International Labour Organization Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR.

The United Nations (UN) in Cambodia works to support peace, poverty eradication and human rights in the country. The UN is committed to enhancing development effectiveness in support of the priorities, plans and programs of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), civil society and other relevant partners.

Further information see: https://www.ilo.org/skills/projects/innovation-facility/WCMS_757242/lang--en/index.htm

Or contact: Ms. Socheata Sou, the National Program Coordinator of the “Decent Employment for Youth in Cambodia” program, Tel +855 17 363 936. Email: sou@ilo.org