Career fair supported by the ILO promotes inclusive and decent work for all in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (ILO News) — Cambodia’s annual career fair, a major initiative by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with Cambodia’s Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, took place in Phnom Penh from 26 – 27 October 2024, attracting more than 100,000 attendees.

The National Career and Productivity Fair 2024, the biggest career fair in Cambodia, returned for its fourteenth year. On offer were 60,000 job opportunities for young Cambodians as well as vulnerable groups, including women, persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities.

Improved public employment services played an important role in the success of the fair attracting 41,422 to attend on-site, while 63,267 participated online.

© Tarinee Youkhaw/ILO

© Tarinee Youkhaw/ILO

The event advances collaboration between the Royal Government of Cambodia, the private sector and social and development partners, including the United Nations. It not only offers young Cambodians a brighter future but also helps bridge the gap between education and employment and address the country’s skills mismatch.

“Cambodia’s projected economic growth of 6% in 2024 and 6.3% in 2025 will create more job opportunities for youth and students. Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank the ILO and other partners for their close collaboration, contribution, and exhibition at the National Career and Productivity Fair 2024. Thank you to national and international speakers from different sectors for sharing their valuable knowledge and experience during the productivity workshop. We need to collaborate on various activities to help the government improve public employment services and achieve decent work in Cambodia,” said H.E. Heng Sour, Minister of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, Cambodia.

Aligned with Cambodia’s commitment to strengthening vocational skills training and public employment services under the 2024-28 Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP), a framework that identifies the country’s priorities towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the career fair is one of the ILO’s major initiatives with the National Employment Agency (NEA) of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) and its partners.

© Tarinee Youkhaw/ILO

© Tarinee Youkhaw/ILO

“This year’s fair presents us with a good opportunity to meet with representatives from corporations of all industries and sizes. It serves as an essential bridge between the demand and supply sides of the labour market. It connects young jobseekers with potential employers, helping to match talent with opportunity. Through events like these, we are not only providing immediate employment prospects but are also contributing to the long-term development of a more dynamic and efficient labour market. This, in turn, benefits businesses seeking skilled labour while offering young people pathways to decent and productive jobs,” said Tun Sophorn, National Coordinator for Cambodia, ILO Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR.

© Tarinee Youkhaw/ILO

© Tarinee Youkhaw/ILO

In addition to matching Cambodia's youth with job opportunities, the ILO co-organized with NEA an entrepreneurship panel discussion to facilitate knowledge sharing among developing countries on innovative approaches in entrepreneurship development. The panel discussed skills and knowledge needed for success in entrepreneurship, challenges faced by young entrepreneurs, and the public-private partnerships and good practices from South-East Asian countries to promote entrepreneurship through a South-South Cooperation approach, encouraging peer learning among nations facing similar development challenges.

© Daramongkol Keo/ILO

© Daramongkol Keo/ILO

The National Career and Productivity Fair 2024 is supported through a collaborative effort among three major ILO development cooperation projects: Decent Employment for Youth in Cambodia project phase 3 (DEYIII), funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Promoting the Global Development Initiative with a Focus on South-South Cooperation in Employment in ASEAN project (ProSSCE-ASEAN), and ILO/China Partnership Programme on Strengthening Skills Development in Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Myanmar through South-South and Triangular cooperation project funded by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People's Republic of China.

For further information please contact:
Daramongkol Keo
Communication officer
ILO Cambodia
Email: [email protected]

Tarinee Youkhaw
Advocacy & Knowledge Management Officer
ILO ProSSCE-ASEAN project
Email: [email protected]