Bavet Special Economic Zone, Svay Rieng Province, March 27-29, 2023
A team of SEAMEO TED led by Dr. Songheang Ai centre director, technical teachers from Bavet General and Technical High School and Go Study Global Education China had a discussion with the private sector (factories/enterprises) located in Bavet City on March 27-29, 2023. All factories/enterprises are located within Bavet Special Economic Zone. The discussion aimed to explore joint cooperative activities consisting of skills provision mechanism, student internship programs, job announcement, participating in teachers’ professional development programs, and engaging managers/supervisors for data collection for a research study. The participating factories/enterprises encompass all factories within Manhattan Special Economic Zone, Zhaohoi Filter (Cambodia) Co., LTD, Nissey (Cambodia) Co., LTD, Bai Hong CAMBO., LTD, Soyang Decorative Lighting (Cambodia) Co., LTD, DEAHAN Auto Cambodia, and Golden Prosper Enterprise Co., LTD.
After each discussion, the delegates have a company tour to observe the production chain and equipment operated by factory technicians. As a result, technical teachers have learnt how to operate PLC machine and other necessary equipment specified in the curriculum. Teachers and technicians have interacted actively with each other in terms of equipment operation and control. Factories/enterprises were happy to cooperatively work with SEAMEO TED, Go Study Global Education China and Bavet General and Technical High School for their existing employees’ skills upgrading in terms of technical skills and Chinese language.
The factories/enterprises agreed to accept student internships for a few months as part of work-based learning approach. They also cooperated with SEAMEO TED in data collection for a research study to their mangers and supervisors. They agreed to join the events/forums organized by schools or SEAMEO TED as a special lecture or trainer for technical teachers’ professional development programs in the future. Some factories offer accommodates with free of charge during student internship programs for a few months.
The daunting challenges for the labor force there are communication and skills incompetence. For example, as most of the factories/enterprises are Chinese ones most of employees can’t communicate Chinese language with their managers/supervisors or bosses causing misunderstanding of work procedures and effectiveness. Employees’ technical skills such as electricity, electronics, mechanics quality assurance and control, and enterprise management. Regarding these challenges, factories/enterprises requested SEAMEO TED, Go Study Global Education China and Bavet General and Technical High Schools to upgrade their existing employees’ skills and to provide more laborers/workers with semi-skills for them.
