The contribution of vocational skills development to Cambodia's economy

This working paper - "The contribution of vocational skills development to Cambodia’s economy" - is part of an ongoing series and based on research conducted within the „Skills for Industry“ project. Summary: In recognition of the importance of a well-trained workforce for socioeconomic development, the Rectangular Strategy Phase IV has put human resource development at the forefront of the Royal Government of Cambodia’s (RGC’s) development priorities (RGC 2018). The Industrial Development Policy (IDP) 2015-2025 was adopted as a guide to advance Cambodia’s manufacturing industry as a key economic sector for sustainable and inclusive high economic growth, and to overcome the skills gaps and shortages in skilled labour that are purportedly a bottleneck to socioeconomic development. Against this backdrop, theoretical and empirical studies have suggested increasing the pool of skilled workers by equipping young people and existing workers with labour market-relevant knowledge and skills as an ideal solution. However, the contribution of this promising skilled labour increment to Cambodia’s industrial sector and overall economy has rarely been investigated. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to study the skills shortage and its effects, as well as the contribution of skills development at both the industrial and national level.+ repphzhbib2020