Cambodia Strengthens RPL Skill Recognition for Fair and Rigorous Labor Standards

The Cambodian government, with the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training at its forefront, has established specific mechanisms within the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program to ensure assessments are fair, accurate, and aligned with current labor standards. This is achieved through collecting evidence from practical skills tests, oral interviews, and successful execution of tasks. Sun Mesa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, stated that the quality of RPL assessments is reliable, guaranteeing quality, accuracy, and adherence to contemporary labor standards. Assessors and scorers undergo training in competency-based assessment methods and are registered with professional bodies to certify their qualifications as competency-based assessors for each skill. He further explained that all competency assessors for candidates are meticulously selected from the private sector, duly registered with the ministry, possessing professionalism, quality, and high labor standards. They undergo thorough training and must adhere to a code of conduct established in the criteria for registering competency-based assessors. To ensure the quality of candidates, Hang Bunheng, an assessor from the private sector, emphasized that candidates must possess sufficient competency to receive a skill certificate. Assessors meticulously scrutinize candidates' work from the initial stage to the completion of the task. In this regard, whether a candidate passes or fails the test depends on their actual competency, with no favoritism, bribery, or nepotism involved. Bunheng stated, "Our scoring is based on 5 points: their understanding of safety equipment usage, their knowledge of materials related to the job or skill, their knowledge during the test or work, the examination of their work results, and finally, the cleaning of materials and their workspace." According to Sun Mesa, all assessors receive training in competency-based assessment methods. After being assessed for their own competency, they must participate in implementing competency-based assessments at least twice before being registered as professional assessors. Furthermore, he requested the private sector to support and send their civil engineering professionals to participate in training on prior learning assessment methods to become skill assessors and to provide opportunities for their civil engineers to participate as prior learning assessors. In line with the recommendations of Samdech Moha Bovor Thipadei and to encourage former Cambodian workers returning from Thailand to receive official skill recognition, the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training has organized free prior learning skill assessments for 8 occupations in the construction sector, starting from April 2026. Source: Kampuchea Thmey Local