Phnom Penh: Cambodia’s growing focus on solar energy, energy efficiency and electric vehicles is creating demand for new skills and training pathways to prepare its workforce for emerging employment opportunities and the country’s clean energy transition.
The issue was highlighted at the Clean Energy Skills Conference, held on September 16 and jointly supported by the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, the Australian Embassy, the Liechtenstein Development Service (LED), and the Skills Development Fund, in collaboration with EnergyLab Asia.
The conference brought together government representatives, development partners, industry stakeholders and skills-development organisations to discuss how Cambodia can strengthen its workforce and ensure that skills development keeps pace with the rapid evolution of clean energy technologies.
Aligning Policy, Industry and Skills Development
H.E. Heng Sour, Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, emphasised that creating green jobs requires more than simply establishing additional training institutions.
“Green jobs cannot be achieved simply by creating more training institutions. What is required is consensus across policy, industry, and development priorities,” he said.
The minister also highlighted the importance of integrating renewable energy into key industries, including Cambodia’s garment sector, to help maintain the country’s competitiveness and attractiveness in international export markets.
Human Capital at the Centre of the Transition
Ms Bridget Collier, Deputy Ambassador at the Australian Embassy, said technology alone would not be sufficient to deliver the clean energy transition Cambodia is seeking. She identified human capital as a critical constraint and called for stronger cooperation between the government, development partners, private sector, training institutions and industry.
“Technology alone will not deliver the transition Cambodia is seeking,” she said, “stressing the need to invest in the people who will operate, maintain and develop the technologies supporting the clean energy economy.”
Mr Natharoun Ngo Son, Regional Director of EnergyLab Asia, described workforce development as one of Cambodia’s most important energy assets.
“Investing in skills today is building Cambodia’s ultimate renewable resource — one that will never run out, never need importing, and will continue to power Cambodia for decades to come,” he said.
Skills as a Foundation for the Energy Transition
Ms. Leakhena Saroeurn, LED’s Country Coordinator for Cambodia, emphasised that skills development should be treated as a fundamental component of the energy transition rather than an additional consideration.
“Skills are not an add-on to the energy transition; they are one of its foundations,” she said.
Her remarks underscored the importance of ensuring that workers and young people have access to relevant technical knowledge and practical training as Cambodia expands its use of renewable energy and other clean technologies.
Connecting Training with Market Demand
Representing the Skills Development Fund, H.E. Ky Sokkim, Chief Executive Officer, emphasised the importance of responding to current labour-market demand and strengthening connections between employers and training institutions. He noted that building a functioning business and skills ecosystem can enable successful training models to scale while keeping workforce capabilities aligned with changing industry needs.
As Cambodia expands investment in solar energy, energy efficiency, electric mobility and other clean technologies, conference participants highlighted the need for continued coordination among policymakers, businesses, development partners and training providers.
Strengthening these partnerships could help ensure that Cambodia’s workforce is equipped to participate in emerging green industries and that skills development advances alongside the technologies driving the country’s clean energy transition.
Photo by: Supplied
