Context: Cambodia is notable for having a large youth population; youth (those aged 15–29) encompass two thirds of Cambodia’s total population of approximately 16.9 million (2021). Youth also constitute about 43 per cent of the total working-age population. Although youth informal employment has declined over the last decade, decent work is still more difficult for young people to find due to the predominance of the informal sector in the labour market. Given the mismatch between education outcomes and labour market needs, youth find it harder to integrate into the labour market because of limited education and training, the lack of job-search abilities for decent work, and their limited ability to adapt to rapid technological change driven by the arrival of the fourth industrial revolution.
Implementation of programme/ initiative: In 2019, Promoting Decent Youth Employment in Cambodia began to be implemented by UNDP Cambodia, in partnership with the Cambodian Government’s Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and the National Employment Agency, and with a total budget of nearly USD 4 million. The project aims to support the Government of Cambodia to promote and expand decent employment among youth, and to identify and test avenues for them to maximize income opportunities and job revenues in the context of Industry 4.0. Over the project implementation period, the project has three main aims: improving sectoral and national policies related to youth skills development and employment through policy-oriented research and advocacy; enabling young working-age Cambodians to participate in the dynamics of rising income from higher-value added manufacturing and services; and equipping youth with entrepreneurial skills that will allow them to start-up businesses in both rural and urban areas that are responsive to changing industry needs. Currently, the project is ongoing and has been set to end in December 2021.
Main challenges: While the focus on policy-related work benefits to youth in general, vulnerable young people have been specifically targeted in the project due to their challenges in getting into formal employment. Some youth reported having found greater difficulties in finding jobs in urban than rural areas due to the tendency to fall back on agricultural production if other options are not available. As a result, the project hopes to expand its impact in helping youth find jobs in urban areas.
Results achieved: Project implementation is ongoing, involving fruitful partnerships with numerous relevant agencies and with several activities having been set in motion. As of February 2021, for instance, through collaboration with the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia, more than 1,900 young people (38 per cent women) had the opportunity to receive curricular entrepreneurship training. So far, 80 per cent of learning materials for digital skills have been developed and the first batch of 350 students (51 per cent women) enrolled in the programme. Moreover, the project, partnering with the Regional Youth Co:Lab, implemented the National Dialogue to Promote Youth Entrepreneurship and Youth’s Employability Skills, which engaged more than 600 youth and reached a public audience of more than half a million people through social media campaigns.
Moving Forward: Looking ahead, the project aims to establish additional partnerships with industries, relevant agencies and universities to expand its reach for youth, while also guiding them to better adapt to Industry 4.0. For example, some newly established partnerships see the development of tax guides, investment guidebooks and digital investment platforms developed for the provinces of Siem Reap and Kampong Cham.
Replicability: In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project’s innovative approach has shown its resiliency and ability to achieve valuable results. The project has also revealed promising capacities of young entrepreneurs to start and sustain businesses that can better respond to changing industry needs and progressive demands. Promoting Decent Youth Employment illustrates how empowering youth through increased attention to digital skills development and decent work opportunities can be, amongst others, a successful approach to achieve sustainable national socioeconomic development.
Acknowledgement:
This good practice was kindly prepared by Ms. Alysha Brahmantiara Putri.
References:
https://open.undp.org/projects/00110789
https://www.oecd.org/countries/cambodia/youth-issues-in-cambodia.htm
Project Details
Date: September 10, 2021