Globalization has driven significant economic development and diversification in sectors with potential for growth in productive and higher value-added jobs. Yet, it has also imposed challenges on enterprises seeking workers with the right skills, and on workers seeking the skills they need to match the demands of a rapidly changing labour market. Skills development has been instrumental in providing access to productive and decent employment and ensuring that no one is left behind.

The Forum brought together a broad spectrum of participants to discuss these issues and share knowledge gained and lessons learned about effective skills and employability strategies for strengthening the links between training and productive and decent work.

The progamme agenda covered several thematic areas including, among others:

• Good practices in bridging skills to trade, employability and inclusive growth;
• Opportunities and challenges created through globalization and trade and how this translates into skills for better jobs and strong businesses;
• How skills enable strategies to diversify economies, thereby improving employment opportunities and increasing economic resilience;
• Skills, technology and the changing work organization;
• Access to skills as part of tackling disadvantaged groups, including among women, youth and rural communities, and making it possible for growth to be inclusive; and,
• Implications of skills-focused initiatives to achieve more environmentally sustainable and inclusive development.

The Forum was organized through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)–funded Skills for Trade and Economic Diversification (STED) programme, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) funded “Skills for Employment and Productivity in Low-Income countries” project. Participants included development partners and donor agencies, government officials, representatives of employers’ and workers’ organizations, education and training providers from countries targeted under ILO programmes and projects, and international organizations.

Explore the conversation on twitter with the hashtag: SkillsSiemReap or visit the event website.