THE NEWLY created Board of Engineers Cambodia (BEC) is set to boost employment opportunities on an international scale, according to Deputy Prime Minister Sok An.

From January 1, the organisation, which was launched Wednesday at NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, will hold a register of national and foreign engineers in Cambodia.

According to the deputy prime minister, who is chairman of the BEC, all registered workers will be entitled to additional training and access to new technology – and therefore greater job opportunities within ASEAN countries – benefiting both society and individual families.

The government is funding the new organisation; however, it is not known how much the project will cost.

Industry professionals said they believe BEC will catapult Cambodia’s engineers into international employment competition.

Tan Seng Chuan, chairman of Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific, said: “The creation of BEC is very important for the country’s development.

“This is the beginning of Cambodian engineers reinforcing their professional standards, and competing with other engineers across the world to obtain good jobs, both in the region and internationally.”

All 1,317 existing members of the Engineering Institute of Cambodia – including 346 professional engineers – will automatically become members of the BEC, according to Prak Min, the new body’s secretary general.