On the morning of 1 December 2025, with the high approval of H.E. Huot Hak, Minister of Tourism, the HoKa Project Management Committee, in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO), inaugurated the training course on “National Trainers in Food and Beverage Services in accordance with the Cambodia National Qualifications Framework – Vocational Certificate Level 1 (C1).” The training is held from 1–6 December 2025 in Phnom Penh.
The opening ceremony was presided over by H.E. Pak Sokhom, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Tourism, representing H.E. Huot Hak, Minister of Tourism. The event was also attended by Ms. Marry Kent, Skills Development Specialist of ILO; representatives of the Swisscontact Skills Development Programme; deputy director generals; department directors; civil servants of the Ministry of Tourism; national and ASEAN trainers; and approximately 60 trainees from tourism vocational schools, training institutes, hospitality colleges, hotels, and private tourism enterprises.
This training course is part of the project “Decent Employment for Youth in Cambodia, Phase III (DEY III)”, implemented by the ILO with funding support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The objective of the course is to strengthen the quality of vocational training in the tourism sector and to enhance human resources through the development of qualified tourism trainers. The initiative contributes to improving the quality of tourism services and supporting the growth of Cambodia’s tourism industry, a sector that continues to create and expand decent employment opportunities, particularly for youth nationwide.
The International Labour Organization continues to support the Ministry of Tourism in strengthening tourism vocational training through organizing three training courses for trainers and assessors in 2025, with a total of 75 trainees, as outlined below:
1. Front Office Trainer Course: Conducted from 17–22 November 2025, with a planned 25 trainees, but the actual number increased to 28 trainees, exceeding the target by three.
2. Food and Beverage Trainer Course: Held from 1–6 December 2025, planned for 25 trainees, but the actual number reached 30 trainees, exceeding the target by five.
3. Trainer and Assessor Course for Front Office and Food & Beverage: Planned for 22–27 December 2025, with 25 trainees expected.
It is important to note that all three training courses for trainers and assessors are conducted in alignment with the Cambodia National Qualifications Framework – Certificate Level 1 (C1). These achievements reflect the strong cooperation between the Ministry of Tourism and ILO through its Decent Employment for Youth in Cambodia programme phase 3 (DEY III) and Swisscontact through its Skills Development Programme (HoKa).
The HoKa Project Management Committee—serving as the technical secretariat—has played a key role in developing national training packages for C1, C2, and C3 levels to ensure standardized vocational qualifications for Cambodia’s tourism sector.
