Cambodia TVET Instructors Gain Advanced Digital Skills in China

Zhejiang Construction Technician College delivered the training, combining technical instruction with practical exercises and exposure to workplaces using modern industrial technologies.

Fifty Cambodian technical and vocational education and training instructors and professionals have completed advanced training in China, building practical expertise in industrial automation and digital construction that can be brought back into classrooms and training centres across Cambodia.

Held from 3 to 14 August 2026, the two programmes were supported by the International Labour Organization through the ILO/China Partnership Programme and its South-South Cooperation Skills Development Network, with support from Cambodia's Skills Development Fund. Zhejiang Construction Technician College delivered the training, combining technical instruction with practical exercises and exposure to workplaces using modern industrial technologies.

Training Focuses on Automation and Digital Construction

The group was divided equally between two specialist programmes, with 25 participants studying Programmable Logic Controller programming and applications while another 25 focused on digital construction. Both areas are becoming increasingly important as Cambodia's manufacturing and construction industries adopt new technologies and seek workers with more advanced technical abilities.

Participants gained hands-on experience alongside classroom learning, allowing them to understand how technologies are being used in real industrial settings rather than studying concepts only in theory. Visits to leading companies in industrial automation and digital construction gave the Cambodian professionals a closer look at current production methods, equipment and workplace practices.

Tian Feng, Project Manager of the ILO-China Partnership Programme, said the 50-person group represented the largest single training programme organised under the skills development initiative since it began, reflecting the growing scale of cooperation.

New Knowledge Expected to Reach More Students

The programmes covered more than technical skills, with competency-based learning, occupational safety, innovation and industry-focused teaching methods included throughout the training. These approaches are expected to help instructors update how they teach students preparing to enter industries where technology and workplace requirements are changing quickly.

Once back in Cambodia, participants are expected to share their new knowledge with colleagues and students at their own institutions, allowing the benefits to spread across the country's TVET system. Strengthening instructors in this way can help a much larger number of young people and workers develop skills that match the needs of employers.

TVET System Prepares for Changing Industry Needs

Cambodia's economic development is creating greater demand for workers who can operate in increasingly digital, automated and technology-driven workplaces. Building stronger technical education is seen as an important part of ensuring local workers can take advantage of employment opportunities created by that transformation.

The ILO-China Partnership Programme has supported Cambodian TVET institutions through instructor development, curriculum improvements, policy discussions and specialist technical training, using South-South cooperation to share practical experience between participating countries.

Funded by the Chinese Government, the programme will continue supporting partnerships and skills development as Cambodia moves further into digital and green industries, with stronger TVET institutions expected to play an important role in preparing workers for emerging jobs.