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Celebrating HoKa Skills Day 2024! Tourism Investment, Human Resources Investment!

Cambodia
Upskilling and Reskilling
01.05.2024
The Hospitality for Kampuchea (HoKa) Steering Committee of the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) celebrated its success in training 4,556 tourism professionals, including 2,619 women, during the HoKa Skills Days 2024 under the theme "Tourism Investment, Human Resources Investment" on 29 April 2024 at the Sokha Hotel.

The HoKa Steering Committee of the MoT recently announced the successful training of approximately 4,556 disadvantaged youths in the second phase 2020-2024, marking a significant step towards promoting inclusive growth and sustainable development in Cambodia's tourism sector.

The event was officially opened by H.E. PAK Sokhom, Secretary of State of the MoT and Chairman of the HoKa Steering Committee, with the presence of Mr. Christian DISLER, Deputy Director and Head of Programme Inclusive Economic Development of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Mr. Christian Volker Ide, Team Leader of the Skills Development Programme (SDP) and brought together over 300 stakeholders from the tourism and hospitality industry, including representatives from the Ministry, tourism associations, private sector entities, development partners, tourism professionals, and hospitality students.

The HoKa Skills Day 2024 served not only as a platform for celebration, but also as a space for knowledge sharing and collaboration building. The event highlighted the importance of the combined efforts of the HoKa Steering Committee members from the MoT, the SDP team, the local authority, the community and all relevant partners in the ten target provinces of Cambodia in providing in-house training to disadvantaged young women and men to transform their lives.

"The success of HoKa Skills Day 2024 reflects the collective commitment of all stakeholders to building a robust and inclusive tourism sector in Cambodia. By equipping thousands of disadvantaged youth with the skills they need, we are not only improving their livelihoods, but also contributing to the sustainable growth of the tourism sector nationwide."
H.E. PAK Sokhom, Secretary of State of the MoT and Chairman of the HoKa Steering Committee.
"We are committed to supporting Cambodia’s tourism and hospitality sector through sustainable and inclusive initiatives. Our partnership aims to enhance the quality of services, empower local communities, and ensure that tourism development benefits all stakeholders."
Mr. Christian DISLER, Deputy Director and Head of Programme Inclusive Economic Development at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
"It is a dream come true for all of us that HoKa has become an important industry-based instrument for re-skilling and up-skilling hospitality workers in Cambodia. I believe we have reached the milestone of this dream."
Mr. Christian Volker Ide, SDP Team Leader.

The event featured insightful presentations aimed at highlighting key aspects of tourism human resource development. More importantly, the discussions focused on the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training's initiative to provide Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) opportunities to 1.5 million disadvantaged youth, along with other government strategies. During the event, a representative from the Skills Development Fund also explained the approach to supporting tourism training initiatives.

Several panel discussions further enriched the discourse, focusing on relevant topics such as the role of the Ministry of Tourism in shaping policies that promote the training of disadvantaged youth and engaging dialogue on the development of the coffee industry, emphasising its potential to develop human resources in the labour market and promote local products.

The event concluded with a demonstration of HoKa skills in bed making, table setting and napkin folding, in particular the Latte Art Battle and Red Wine Service competitions. The competitions served as a platform for the participants to promote the occupations and also as a powerful means of recognising and rewarding their hard work and dedication.

Cambodia
Initial vocational education and training, Labour market insertion, Sustainable tourism
Skills Development Programme
The overall goal of the Skills Development Programme (SDP) is for disadvantaged young women and men and low-skilled workers in five rural provinces of Cambodia (Preah Vihear, Stung Treng, Kratie, Mondulkiri and Rattanakiri) to gain access to decent employment and increased income. 
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