The challenge of insufficient manpower was among the primary problems afflicting the hospitality industry in the Kingdom, a Tourism Ministry workshop under the Secretary of State of the ministry at a Phnom Penh hotel last week concluded. A consultation workshop, organised by the Hospitality Kampuchea Steering Committee (HoKa SC) under the leadership of Pak Sokom, Secretary of State, Ministry of Tourism, also Chairman of HoKa Steering Committee, had the objective of training tourism professionals.
The tourism qualification framework was designed to act as a comprehensive roadmap for tourism vocational education and training institutions. The workshop held at Cambodiana Hotel aimed to prepare, train and enable the professionals to do justice to the needs of the job market. The seminar had the support of Swisscontact.
The first challenge facing hospitality training in the Kingdom, is the lack of vocational training schools, said Chuob Ratana, Director of Tourism Development and Planning and Head of the HoKa SC’s secretariat. There are about eight NGOs running schools in Cambodia which are able to provide a new workforce of approximately 1,000 people per year.
Some technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions under the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLTV), mostly in Siem Reap are able to provide 100-150 professionals per year, while the demand for workforce is expected at closer to 180,000 professionals by 2025.
Lack of qualified master trainers and assessors for the supervisory and management level, is another unfortunate problem. The above NGOs and MoLVT institutions are able to deliver the entry level employees. There will be a need to develop the capacity of the existing trainers and in-house trainers from the industry.
The lack of a national tourism school run by the government creates a gap in standardised training, said Kong Dara, Senior Intervention Manager, HoKa. While NGOs and universities offer programmes they are of limited quality and consistency.
The absence of a national tourism qualification makes career progression unclear. Existing employees with valuable industry experience may struggle to gain formal recognition of their skills.
The perception of limited career growth and low salaries in tourism, especially in small businesses, discourages young people from pursuing tourism studies, Dara said. He recommended the development and promotion of eco-tourism in all provinces and cities. This would cater to the growing trend of sustainable travel while showcasing Cambodia’s natural beauty.
The industry is expanding beyond traditional tourism destinations like Angkor Wat, with new investment in coastal areas and eco-tourism, said Christian Volker Ide, Team Leader, Skills Development Program, Swisscontact. This requires a broader range of hospitality skills.
Aligning hospitality training programmes with the national TVET policies and frameworks to ensure coherence and effectiveness in addressing the skills development needs of the country.
Ide also highlighted the importance of embracing digitalisation and blended learning approaches to enhance the delivery of hospitality training, especially in the context of remote learning and
self-studies.