ILO follow-up to Cambodia’s National Employment Policy 2015-25, targeting Youth Employment

Cambodia

The Kingdom of Cambodia is the most youthful country in South East Asia with more than 60 per cent of the total population below 25 years of age and 22.3 per cent between 15 and 24. One of Cambodia’s major economic and social challenges is to create decent and productive employment opportunities for the estimated 270,000 new entrants to the labour market every year while at the same time ensuring that young people receive an education of quality.

Despite notable improvements in recent years, the country faces significant challenges in building a strong human capital base and a skilled workforce responsive and adaptive to its changing labour market needs. The situation is exacerbated both by the fast-growing low skilled labour force and by the slow pace of economic diversification.

The project under the ILO/Sida Partnership aims to create enabling conditions for decent and productive employment and to prepare young people for the world of work. The project supports the strengthening of instructional mechanisms for leadership, coordination and implementation of policies; an improved access of young women and men to quality education and technical/vocational skills training; and the protection of young women and men from the risk of abuse and discrimination at work.