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Tourism Minister Visit to SDP Partner’s Training Centre

Cambodia
12.03.2019
The visit by the Cambodian Tourism Minister, H.E. Dr. Thong Khon, and H.E. Va Thorn, Kratie Provincial Governor, is an honor and a key achievement for Le Tonlé Training Restaurant & Guesthouse, a hospitality training centre collaborating with the Skills Development Programme (SDP), implemented by Swisscontact, to provide skills and employment opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged youths from the Kratie region.

The visit took place on February 18 during the appointment of Mr. Chuob Ratana as Director of Kratie Provincial Department of Tourism.

H.E. Dr. Thong Khon emphasized the importance of the tourism sector in leveraging the sustainable economic and social development for people in the region. During this event, the minister also mentioned the government’s plans to establish Kratie province as a secondary Tourism Destination and a Cultural Heritage City, which will not be possible without qualified workforce in tourism and hospitality.

One of SDP’s interventions supports contextualized hospitality training for low-skilled workers in the hospitality sector in Kratie, Stung Treng and Preah Vihear. The intervention answers directly to the growing demand of the tourism industry in Kratie province, which attracted more than 345,000 visitors in 2018, adding up to a 15% growth compared to the previous year.

At Le Tonlé, H.E. Dr. minister Thong Khon having lunch with Swisscontact’s Country Director and the management teams of the Ministry and the provincial administration

The Strategic Plan for Tourism Human Resources Development 2017-2025 of the Ministry of Tourism sets out to a target of 1.2 Million jobs by 2025, and 1.7 Million by 2030. In an alignment with this goal, SDP supports on three distinctive models of hospitality training:

  1. In-house training: upskilling for low-skilled hospitality workers working as waiters/waitresses, receptionists and housekeepers.
  2. Full-time training: training programme focusing on enabling disadvantaged youth to gain skills and find a job and income in the hospitality sector.
  3. Hospitality coaching: training and coaching programme for small hospitality businesses to improve their services, products and provide better employment conditions for hospitality workers they employ.

By December 2018, SDP has provided labour  market relevant skills training to approximately 1,300 young women and men in Kratie, Stung Treng and Preah Vihear. The project is supporting young men and women on developing technical skills in various sectors while collaborating with key government entities in designing strategies that respond to market demands and enable young Cambodians to gain skills and recognition for their qualifications.

The Skills Development Programme (SDP) is mandated by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The first phase of SDP (2016 to 2020) is implemented by Swisscontact in a consortium with INBAS. The programme aims to increase income and employment opportunities for young women and men in three rural provinces of Cambodia: Preah Vihear, Stung Treng and Kratie. It also contributes to the creation of an inclusive, relevant and well-coordinated national TVET system. To accomplish this, the SDP implements activities in three Intervention Areas: Dual Vocational Training, Hospitality Training as well as National Policy and TVET Reform. SDP is committed to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion as a transversal theme in all Intervention Areas.

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