Training needed for tourist industry

Representatives of Cambodia’s booming tourism industry yesterday called on the Asian Development Bank to provide funding for workforce training in the sector.

During the meeting at the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, tour operator Ho Vandy, who also co-chairs the Tourism Working Group in the Government-Private Sector Forum, said representatives of various tourism-related associations had asked the ADB for help in technical and vocational education and training.

He said that by 2015, all ASEAN countries would be part of one community, which would cause increased competition, and human resources were the main factor in addressing this competition.

“We propose professional training and real skills for tourism-related business.”

Ang Kim Eang, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said training was important because Cambodian university courses had not yet met the needs of tourism services.

Education specialist Swetal Sindhvad, of the Asian Development Bank, said that although the ADB had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Economy and Finance Ministry that focused on workforce training designed to respond to the need for skilled labour in the private sector, the ADB had not set a budget or given priority to any particular sectors.

“We are trying to identify what is the area of the project, and then we will work with the government on the amounts,” Sindhvad said.

Sourced: Phnom Penh Post