Jobs for the 21st Century: Cambodia Assessment

By Erik Payne Butler, Caroline Fawcett, Vicheanon Khieu, Robert Miltz, Samsen Neak, and Francisco Roman

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Cambodian mission has made significant contributions to basic education through curriculum development, has supported private sector competitiveness in the burgeoning garment industry, and has provided technical and financial assistance to develop micro- and small enterprises to support household income in this very poor and very rural Southeast Asia nation. This assessment, funded by the USAID Asia and Near East Bureau and conducted by EDC, is intended to develop recommendations for further action based on a fact-finding review of factors influencing demand (the present state and future projections of the Cambodian economy as it pertains to the creation of employment opportunities) and those influencing supply (the present and future capacity of the educational and other systems and programs to meet the demand for skills, educational levels, and location of the labor force). The assessment posed three questions, drawn from the methodology of similar USAID assessments in other nations:

  • Will young Cambodians be prepared for and able to adapt to the changes in the society and in the economy and to the demands of employers?
  • Are there, or will there be, “real jobs” in the Cambodian economy, and will they be sufficient to the supply of labor?
  • Do the institutions and service institutions (government and non-government) have the means and systems to meet the demands of the future economy?

A fourth question is suggested by the interest of the USAID/Cambodia mission in making future investments in youth employment and/or school to work transition:

  • Are there tactical or strategic investment options that the USAID mission can use to improve the match between young people and the evolving society and economy?

Contact Info: Caroline Fawcett (2025723700 x3719)

Published by: U.S. Agency for International Development Order Info

Download a copy of Jobs for the 21st Century: Cambodia Assessment (PDF, 2.09 MB): http://www.gwit.us/Products/cambodia.pdf

Price: Free
(107 pp.) PDF