Phnom Penh, December 15, 2025 — During the 2nd National Conference on the Labor Economy, held under the theme “Shaping the Future of Work in Cambodia: Skills, Occupations, Employment, and Social Protection for a Resilient Labor Market,”
Mr. Phan Phalla, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Skills Development Fund (SDF), urged the private sector to further strengthen and actively participate in human capital skills development. This can be achieved through support from the SDF—including technical assistance in preparing training project proposals and co-financing for skills development—aimed at narrowing the skills gap between labor market demands and the current workforce’s capabilities. Furthermore, this initiative seeks to enhance job quality in response to economic shifts, boost economic competitiveness, and create or expand opportunities for skilled, higher-paying employment.
Speaking at a conference organized by the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and relevant partners, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees highlighted that “the SDF has played a crucial role in strengthening and expanding cooperation among the private sector, skills training institutions, and stakeholders within the skills ecosystem. This collaboration facilitates joint development and investment in pre-employment training, upskilling, and reskilling programs—ensuring that both the quality and quantity of training align with labor market demands as well as socio-economic development needs, for both the present and the future.” As of November 2025, the SDF has provided co-financing to factories, enterprises, training institutions, and business associations for the implementation of skills training programs with a total cost of approximately $39.90 million. Of this amount, the SDF’s co-financing contribution—totaling $20.41 million (or 51%)—was directed toward priority sectors with high demand from the private sector, supporting skills training for a total of 50,008 trainees (39% of whom were women).
