Siem Reap Province: On the afternoon of 17 August 2026, with the high-level authorization of H.E. Hout Hak, Minister of Tourism, H.E. Pak Sokhum, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Tourism, together with H.E. Di Rado, Deputy Governor of the Board of Governors of Siem Reap Province, representing H.E. Prak Sophoan, Governor of Siem Reap Province, and Mr. Lieav Kimlay, Education Programme Officer of UNESCO Cambodia, presided over the workshop entitled “Dissemination Workshop on the Basic Education Equivalency Programme (BEEP) in the Tourism Sector.”
The workshop was attended by representatives of UNESCO Cambodia; the Director of the Techo Sen Regional Polytechnic Institute; universities and vocational training institutions; students; trainees; trainers; national and ASEAN master assessors; representatives of organizations and associations; officials of the Ministry of Tourism; representatives of tourism associations and vocational training institutions; and other relevant stakeholders, with a total of 150 participants.
In his opening remarks, H.E. the Secretary of State emphasized that the workshop was primarily aimed at raising awareness and promoting a better understanding of, and participation in, the Basic Education Equivalency Programme (BEEP) among stakeholders, professionals, and trainees in the tourism sector. The programme is designed to facilitate access to recognized basic education equivalency while contributing to the development of a skilled and competent workforce for the tourism industry.
H.E. the Secretary of State further highlighted the importance of cooperation among ministries and government institutions, development partners, the private sector, tourism enterprises, and educational and training institutions to ensure that the implementation of BEEP under the DEY III Project is effective and responsive to the actual needs of the labour market. The active engagement of all relevant stakeholders will help expand learning opportunities, strengthen professional competencies, and improve access to decent employment for youth and workers in the tourism sector.
The workshop focused on the following key objectives:
1. To disseminate and introduce the BEEP to stakeholders in the tourism sector, with particular emphasis on its objectives, eligibility requirements, learning modalities, recognition mechanisms, certification, and pathways for further education and career development.
2. To demonstrate how BEEP can provide learning opportunities for tourism professionals and workers who have not yet completed lower secondary education or basic education, enabling them to continue their studies and develop their competencies while remaining employed.
3. To provide information and guidance to tourism training institutions and employers on procedures for identifying, referring, and enrolling eligible staff members, trainees, and workers in the programme.
4. To strengthen cooperation among the Ministry of Tourism; the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training; the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport; UNESCO; tourism vocational training institutions; hotels; and the private tourism sector under the DEY framework, with the aim of jointly promoting human resource development and decent employment opportunities for youth and workers in the tourism industry.
5. To identify practical implementation steps and future directions for disseminating information, providing guidance, and referring potential learners to participate in BEEP, while further strengthening future collaboration to expand the participation of tourism professionals and workers in the programme.
H.E. the Secretary of State encouraged all participants and relevant stakeholders to actively contribute to the dissemination and effective implementation of BEEP in order to expand access to education, strengthen knowledge and professional skills, and contribute to the development of a competent and productive human resource base in line with the needs of Cambodia’s tourism sector.
He further emphasized that such efforts would make an important contribution to improving service quality, enhancing Cambodia’s tourism competitiveness, attracting more tourists, and promoting the sustainable development of the tourism sector, thereby strengthening Cambodia’s position in the regional and international tourism landscape.
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