Decent Employment for Youth in Cambodia Phase 3 (DEY III)

Implementing agencies

International Labour Organization (ILO – Convening and Administrative Agent, and host of the DEY Coordination), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

Responding to Cambodia’s youth employment challenges

DEY phase III provides the core of the rationale for the continuation of the programme. The analysis highlights five overall strategic gaps requiring concerted attention if the decent employment prospects of young women and men in Cambodia are to be significantly improved. These are:

1. the systemic skills deficit within Cambodia’s youth population at a time of rapid technological change, linked to the significant mismatch between labour market requirements and the skills of youth, the high-level of adolescents not participating in formal or informal education at the required levels and the high-level of school dropouts.
2. weaknesses in the country’s business and entrepreneurship and business ecosystem, particularly with respect to the development of SMEs as a source of growth and new and decent employment.
3. lack of knowledge, know-how, technology and resources by SMEs and large enterprise to innovate, implement innovative programmes, hindering their ability to compete, grow and create jobs.
4. the challenges many youths face in making the transition from education and training to employment and navigating labour market transitions.
5. the need to address high levels of informality, vulnerability and inadequate quality of work for youth - i.e. lack of opportunities for decent and productive work.

Outcomes

• Outcome 1: More youth have increased employability with demand-driven skills in line with current and future labour market needs.
• Outcome 2: More youth have obtained employment and improved working conditions provided by SMEs.
• Outcome 3: More youth have improved access to labour market opportunities for decent and productive employment.

Benefits and target

DEY III will provide direct benefits to 19,700 youths (including 1,400 youths with disabilities) and indirect benefits to 103,800 youths (including 200 youths with disabilities) by February 2028 through all DEY interventions. In addition, 1,428 partner and SME institutions (existing – public: 19, private: 174, CSO: 1; additional - public: 41, private: 1,181, CSO: 12) will directly benefit from DEY III through institutional capacity building and strengthening.

Supporting implementation of Cambodian Government employment policies

DEY III will support the RGC and other national partners to implement the key aspects of national policies, strategies and plans which will increase decent employment for youth. Priorities in this regard are the Pentagonal Strategy for Growth, Employment, Equity, Efficiency and Sustainability: Phase I (2023-2028): Building the Foundation Towards Realizing the Vision 2050; the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) 2024-2028; the National Employment Policy (NEP) 2015-2025, the National TVET Policy 2017-2025 and the Skills Development Roadmap 2023-2035.

Maximizing impact through a clear focus

To maximize the potential for greater impact, DEY III will prioritize two core sectors: (i) Tourism, including local enterprise and employment development and linked to food processing and (ii) manufacturing with a focus on the food processing sub-sector.

To help maximize impact, DEY III will focus its efforts on line with the geographic focus of the government’s national development priorities and strategies. This will see DEY III prioritising engagement across its three outcomes in (i) Banteay Meanchey, Battambang and Pursat and (ii) in Phnom Penh, Kampong Cham and Kampong Thom.

Aligning with the wider UN effort in Cambodia

• UNSDCF Outcome 1: By 2028, people in Cambodia, especially those at risk of being left behind, are healthier and benefit from improved gender-responsive education and social protection.
• UNSDCF Outcome 2: By 2028, people in Cambodia, especially those at risk of being left behind, benefit from and contribute to a productive, diversified, formalized and low carbon and climate adapted economy.
• UNSDCF Outcome 4: By 2028, people in Cambodia, especially those at risk of being left behind, live in an increasingly gender equal and inclusive society with active civic space and enjoy more effective and accountable institutions.

Budget

The core budget of DEY III includes a USD 4,000,000 contribution from the SDC, and at least USD 5,056,000 in parallel funding from the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) (USD 956,000), participating UN organizations (PUNOs) (USD 2,334,000), other international development partners (USD 1,477,000), and private sector sources (USD 244,000). Parallel funding includes in-kind and/or in cash contributions.

For further information please contact:

Ms Socheata Sou
National Project Coordinator
Email: [email protected]