Cambodia’s Career Fair Draws Young Jobseekers to Explore 35,000 Opportunities

The fair’s first dedicated Career Park offered CV preparation, career counselling and on-site interviews, giving participants a chance to work through the steps that come before securing a job.

For young people preparing to enter the workforce, finding a vacancy is only part of the challenge; knowing how to present their skills, prepare a convincing CV and understand what employers need can search feel more manageable. Cambodia's National Career and Labour Productivity Fair 2026 brought those services together, attracting 47,000 participants and connecting jobseekers with more than 35,000 job opportunities. Held in Phnom Penh on 12–13 September under the theme "Skills and Jobs: Labour Productivity for Sustainable Economic Growth," the two-day event gave visitors access to employers, career advice and practical support for finding their place in a changing world of work.

A Career Park Gives Jobseekers Practical Help

The fair's first dedicated Career Park offered CV preparation, career counselling and on-site interviews, giving participants a chance to work through the steps that come before securing a job. Its services reached 16,221 participants and supported the preparation of 3,100 CVs, showing the scale of demand for help with presenting qualifications and experience to employers. For someone starting their career or feeling unsure about their next move, having guidance and interview opportunities in the same place can make the process easier to understand and give them a clearer sense of how to prepare.

Now in its 16th year, the fair serves as a major national platform for job matching, talent acquisition, career guidance and sharing labour market information. Government ministries, employers, education and training institutions, development partners and young jobseekers, including people in vulnerable situations, took part in the event. Cambodia's Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, Heng Sour, described the fair as a source of real employment opportunities and expressed confidence in the country's prospects for young workers. He said the government would continue reforms to improve the investment environment for large businesses and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, encouraging investment that creates more jobs.

Conversations Bring Changing Workplace Needs Into Focus

Visitors also heard from government and private-sector representatives about the demands shaping employment in Cambodia, with discussions covering soft skills, technical competencies, technology adoption and the abilities needed to succeed in a changing labour market. The sessions explored ways to improve labour productivity in the digital economy, connecting the search for employment with a broader discussion about how people and businesses can adapt to new tools and working practices. These conversations gave jobseekers more context for understanding vacancies and considering which skills could strengthen their prospects.

Helen Kirsch, Technical Officer on Social Protection and Jobs and Officer in Charge of the ILO Joint Project Office in Cambodia, stressed that lasting responses to employment and productivity challenges depend on cooperation among government, employers, workers, education and training institutions, and development partners. She highlighted young people's role as agents of change and reaffirmed the International Labour Organization's commitment to supporting more and better jobs, stronger labour market institutions, higher productivity and decent work for all in Cambodia.

Three ILO Projects Support Employment and Skills

The ILO supported the fair through three development cooperation projects advancing youth employment, skills development and labour market cooperation in Cambodia and across ASEAN. These included the Decent Employment for Youth in Cambodia project, Phase 3 (DEYIII), funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and the Promoting the Global Development Initiative with a Focus on South-South Cooperation in Employment in ASEAN project (ProSSCE-ASEAN). Support also came through the ILO-China Partnership Programme on Strengthening Skills Development in ASEAN through South-South Cooperation, funded by the People's Republic of China through its Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Together, these contributions supported an event that brought employment opportunities and practical career services within reach of thousands of jobseekers.