On 8 December 2025, with the formal authorization of H.E. Huot Hak, Minister of Tourism, and H.E. Pak Sokhom, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Tourism and Chairman of the HoKa Steering Committee, a delegation of officials from the HoKa Secretariat conducted a field study mission to the Skills Development Programme (SDP) implementing partners in Pursat Province. The mission was undertaken in collaboration with representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, development partners from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Liechtenstein Development Service (LED), as well as Swisscontact, the International Labour Organization (ILO), provincial line departments, and other institutional stakeholders.
The mission involved site visits to enterprises participating in the HoKa Programme and to the Provincial Polytechnic Institute in Pursat Province, with the objective of systematically examining the experiences of employers and trainees engaged in Phase III (2024–2028) of the Skills Development Programme.
Under the leadership of the Secretary of State, the delegation conducted structured observational visits to two enterprises in order to assess the quality, relevance, and outcomes of training provision, as well as the broader work environment in which trainees are embedded. The selected sites included the Mlob Svay Restaurant and the “Eung Vuthy” electrical and mechanical enterprise. During these visits, the delegation facilitated in-depth dialogues with employers, trainers, and trainees who had completed training programmes in culinary arts, food and beverage services, and refrigeration/electrical systems.
The consultations were organized around three thematic areas:
1. Institutional and pedagogical challenges encountered during trainee recruitment, training delivery, and post-training support, as well as locally grounded strategies used to address these challenges;
2. Trainee experiences and labour-market integration, particularly regarding access to technical and vocational skills, occupational mobility, and the conditions shaping their employment trajectories; and
3. Assessment of educational outcomes, including cognitive, behavioural, and practical transformations experienced by trainees following programme completion.
This field mission generated empirically grounded insights into the preparedness of youth entrants, the skill requirements articulated by enterprises, and the qualitative dimensions of training delivery. These findings constitute critical evidence for informing programme refinement and strategic decision-making. Furthermore, the mission facilitated the collection of first-hand perspectives from diverse stakeholders, thereby strengthening the deliberative work of the Project Advisory Committee in preparation for the 2026 implementation cycle.
It is pertinent to note that Phase III (2024–2028) of the Skills Development Programme is financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Liechtenstein Development Service (LED), and is implemented by Swisscontact in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training. Within this programme architecture, the Ministry of Tourism operationalizes the Hospitality Kampuchea Training Programme (HoKa) across twelve target provinces, namely: Kratie, Stung Treng, Preah Vihear, Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Kampong Chhnang, Koh Kong, Pursat, Battambang, Pailin, Banteay Meanchey, and Oddar Meanchey.
As of Quarter 3 of 2025, a total of 8,811 individuals—comprising disadvantaged youth, tourism practitioners, managerial personnel, and tourism enterprise owners—have completed training across eight prioritized skill areas under the supervision of the HoKa Steering Committee.
