Phnom Penh: Mr. Heng Sour, Minister of Labor and Vocational Training, received a courtesy call and discussion with Ms. Yasmin Siddiqi, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for Cambodia, and colleagues on the afternoon of June 5, 2026 at the Ministry’s office to present the progress of work and exchange views on the draft National Policy on Occupations and Employment 2026-2035, the National Policy on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NTVET), as well as future priority work in developing human resources in the labor sector, etc.
On that occasion, the Minister expressed his deep gratitude and high appreciation for the fruits of long-term cooperation with the Asian Development Bank, which has achieved proud achievements in supporting training, workforce development, and strengthening competitiveness, as well as providing key recommendations in the process of preparing skills development policies in Cambodia, such as the National Policy on Occupations and Employment 2026-2035, etc.
The Minister said that the Asian Development Bank is an important partner of the Royal Government of Cambodia, as well as the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, in developing skills in the industrial sector. At the same time, His Excellency also highlighted the importance of the TVET sector, including 1.5 million TVET programs, as the foundation for transforming the workforce through upskilling and reskilling, providing equal opportunities for youth in line with evolving industry needs. Through a strategic partnership with ADB, Cambodia is helping young people develop skills and gain better jobs and incomes, making the TVET sector even more attractive.
In response, Ms. Sidiki praised the achievements of the work of the operational collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, as well as the leadership of the Minister. In promoting progress on key policy measures. At the same time, the working group also expressed its strong commitment to the fruitful discussions on these draft policies. She also expressed continued financial and technical support to the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training in implementing policies and strategic programs for the labor and vocational training sectors, as well as the national development strategy of the Royal Government of Cambodia. The two sides also discussed expanding the training of trainers program as well as expanding and developing TVET schools in several key target areas.
With the constructive discussion, Mr. Heng Sour also highlighted that the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training is ready to continue strengthening and expand cooperation with ADB to continue to promote human capital development for long-term development.
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