AGREEMENT SIGNING CEREMONY - Decent Employment for Youth in Cambodia DEY – Phase 2

Good afternoon. 

I am grateful to H.E Dr. Ith Samheng, Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, for presiding and hosting this signing ceremony.

We are launching the second phase of Decent Employment for Youth programme in Cambodia in the most challenging context of a pandemic. COVID-19 has disrupted life as we know it: the way we learn, earn and engage in society.

For the 160,000 young women and men are entering the job market each year, the pandemic has affected their ability to access quality education, that will allow them to learn and then to obtain a decent job. 

This was before COVID-19. The prospects for youth employment, employment, in general, and the world of work has radically changed. 

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has so far resulted in 305 million jobs lost. According to ILO, “as a result of the economic crisis created by the pandemic, almost 1.6 billion informal economy workers (representing the most vulnerable in the labour market), out of a worldwide total of two billion and a global workforce of 3.3 billion, have suffered massive damage to their capacity to earn a living. This is due to lockdown measures and/or because they work in the hardest-hit sectors.”

For young people, not only has the pandemic destroyed employment opportunities, but it is also disrupting education and training, and placing major obstacles in the way of those seeking to enter the labour market or to move between jobs.

The situation in Cambodia is similar. The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting Cambodia’s main drivers of economic growth—tourism, manufacturing exports, and construction—which together account for more than 70 per cent of the country’s growth and almost 40 per cent of paid employment (World Bank’s latest Economic Update for Cambodia).

However, underlying every crisis is an opportunity. Cambodia’s response and recovery from the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is an invaluable opportunity to unleash digital transformation with a skilled, empowered and resilient young population. A couple of hundred thousand young Cambodian women and men entering the job market every year can be equipped with the skills, competencies, and the mindset to thrive even with uncertainty. This would mean learning to adapt and innovate, using rapid advancements in technology, investing young people with futures-oriented skills, and transitioning into a green economy to achieve Cambodia’s vision of a high middle-income country by 2050.

I believe that there is no more important task than this before us all to support

• Sustained learning for all children, adolescents and youth 
• An economic recovery that protects jobs and workers; ensures decent work
• Continued or improved functioning of small producers, informal workers and SMEs across sectors to ensure production of, and access to, food and other essential goods and services

While putting in place the foundations for an inclusive, sustainable and equitable recovery from the pandemic.

In terms of how the Decent Employment for Youth programme will contribute : 

First, on COVID 19 and technological advancement

The pandemic is affecting students at all levels and thousands of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) learners in Cambodia. 

This situation shows us that it is essential to take advantage of digital technology innovations and adapt the way we learn to the needs of the time. 

The DEY program will support the RGC to use digital learning platforms in the delivery of its programmes as a response to COVID-19 pandemic and achieving the vision of a digital economy.  

Second, on working with the private sector 

Youth will also need practical and hands-on skills and competencies. To that end, the DEY will support CAMFEBA and the private sector to step up their engagement in the design and implementation of vocational training and entrepreneurship development programs. 

Apprenticeship, among other workplace-based initiatives, will be supported by our program. 

Third, on the transition to green jobs

The current COVID 19 situation reminds us that we cannot go back to the old normal. 

The DEY program will support national institutions to build back better and prepare for a green transition. 

Youths will learn skills for the green economy, which will both increase their employability and reduce the carbon impact of their work. 

We have a big, bold vision for the second phase of the Decent Employment for Youth programme. We are excited to partner and collaborate with the Royal Government, SDC, CAMFEBA, the business sector and other partners, most especially, the youth of Cambodia in shaping a new world of work in the post-COVID era.

Thank you.