Cambodia Strengthens Industrial and Digital Skills Through ILO-China Partnership
Cambodia trains 50 TVET instructors in industrial automation and digital construction through an ILO-China skills development partnership.
By GLEBM News Desk
Cambodia is strengthening its technical workforce as 50 technical and vocational education and training (TVET) instructors and technical professionals received advanced training in industrial automation and digital construction in China.
The training, held from August 3 to 14, 2026, was supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO) under its ILO-China Partnership Programme through the South-South Cooperation Skills Development Network.
The initiative is aimed at helping Cambodia build a skilled workforce capable of meeting the changing demands of its manufacturing and construction sectors as the country accelerates its digital and industrial transformation.
The programme was supported by Cambodia’s Skills Development Fund (SDF) and delivered by Zhejiang Construction Technician College.
Of the 50 participants, 25 took part in a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) Programming and Application Training Programme, while another 25 participated in a Digital Construction Training Programme.
According to the organizers, the programmes were designed to strengthen the technical capacity of Cambodia’s TVET institutions while ensuring that instructors can provide learners with practical skills aligned with modern industry requirements.
The training combined classroom sessions with intensive practical exercises and exposure to industry practices. Participants also visited leading companies in the industrial automation and digital construction sectors, giving them first-hand experience of emerging technologies, production processes and workplace practices.
Tian Feng, Project Manager of the ILO-China Partnership Programme, said the training represented a significant milestone in the cooperation between the two countries.
“With 50 participants, this is the largest single training programme organized under the ILO/China Partnership Programme on Strengthening Skills Development since its inception,” Tian said, describing the development as evidence of the growing scale of South-South cooperation in skills development.
Beyond technical training, the programme emphasized competency-based education, occupational safety, innovation and industry-relevant teaching methods.
The participants are expected to transfer the knowledge and skills acquired in China to colleagues and students after returning to Cambodia, potentially extending the impact of the programme across the country’s TVET system.
Tian said Cambodia’s economic transformation would depend heavily on its ability to develop a workforce equipped for emerging industries and rapidly advancing technologies.
“Through South-South Cooperation, this initiative enables Cambodian TVET instructors to learn directly from China’s practical experience in industrial automation and digital construction,” he said.
“By strengthening the capacity of instructors today, we are investing in the skills of thousands of young people and workers who will drive Cambodia’s sustainable and inclusive development.”
The latest training builds on long-standing cooperation between Cambodia and China under the ILO-China Partnership Programme, which focuses on practical knowledge exchange, institutional partnerships and capacity development.
In recent years, the programme has supported Cambodia’s TVET institutions through policy dialogue, instructor development, curriculum improvement and advanced technical training in sectors considered critical to the country’s economic development.
As Cambodia pursues digitalization and green economic transitions, the initiative is expected to help TVET institutions remain responsive to changing labour-market demands.
The ILO-China Partnership Programme, funded by the Chinese Government, continues to support skills development, institutional cooperation and innovation as Cambodia works towards building a future-ready workforce capable of contributing to sustainable economic growth.
