The programme will provide supplementary skills to those working in the Covid-19-wracked tourism sector. AFP
The Ministry of Tourism has opened bidding to consulting firms for the design and structure of a year-long skills-training programme to reinforce human resources in the hospitality and tourism sector.
The programme will be divided into 18 courses and centre on seven skills – workplace communications, information and communications technology (ICT), marketing, project management, statistics analysis, food safety and financial management, the ministry said.
The courses will be provided to ministry officials and members of tourism industry associations, and most are expected to be held through a mix of virtual and in-person sessions, it said.
Interested firms must have years of experience in designing and delivering training courses in the respective field(s) that they apply for, it said, adding that winners of the bidding process will need to design, deliver and assess the courses.
The deadline for applications is May 10 at 3:15pm and the bidding date has yet to be announced.
The programme is funded by a €1.5 million ($1.8 million) grant from Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD), the development arm of the French government, as part of Tourism Commercial Capacity Building Programme 2020-2023, the ministry added.
Ministry spokesman Top Sopheak said the training programme is a show of support from a development partner to provide supplementary skills to those working in the Covid-19-wracked tourism sector.
However, he noted that the project would only focus on tour operators, travel agents and workers at hotels, guesthouses and restaurants.
Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA) president Chhay Sivlin told The Post that the training would benefit the tourism sector by further developing knowledge and skills.
She hopes that the programme will motivate tourism professionals, most of whom have given up their careers during Covid-19, to return to their profession.
“I hope that these training courses will be able to bring them back to the field after the Covid-19 situation improves. We are worried about losing careers in the sector and facing a shortage in human resources once we’re out of the woods,” Sivlin said.
