PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA — To help address technical workforce shortages in manufacturing, SCAN Industrial Services (SIS) is introducing a hands-on vocational training model designed to connect technical education directly with factory production.
Speaking in an interview featured by EuroCham Cambodia and Cambodia Investment Review, Dhanita Nair, Director of the SME Resource Center at SCAN Industrial Services, outlined the group’s long-term vision to support Cambodia’s transformation into a regional manufacturing hub.
Overcoming Local Technical Workforce Challenges
According to Nair, international investors entering Cambodia frequently encounter local talent shortages when scaling high-value industrial projects. Consequently, businesses often rely on recruiting overseas technical specialists.
While foreign talent resolves immediate operational requirements, it adds significant overhead, including visa fees, work permit compliance, and potential setup delays. Furthermore, factories in operation face production slowdowns whenever specialized local technicians are unavailable to maintain equipment or fabricate replacement parts.
To solve these persistent operational bottlenecks, SCAN Industrial Services created its human resources arm, the SME Resource Center.
Partnership with Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training
A core element of the firm’s strategic roadmap was the formal signing of a five-year Memorandum of Agreement with the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) on July 8, 2026.
The agreement aligns directly with the government’s Skills Development Roadmap 2023–2035 and the broader Pentagonal Strategy. Under this partnership, the SME Resource Center works alongside the Industrial Technical Institute (ITI) to upgrade training modules—specifically within metal engineering and sheet metal welding departments.
Additionally, the project incorporates a Train-the-Trainer model in collaboration with Danish technical schools to upgrade local instruction standards.
Integrated Dual-Purpose Manufacturing Facility
Looking ahead, SCAN Industrial Services plans to develop an integrated industrial facility over the next five years. The site will bring together fabrication, electrical and PLC assembly, warehousing, and engineering under a single operational roof.
Unlike conventional industrial plants, the planned facility will operate simultaneously as an active commercial factory and an accredited vocational training hub.
“It won’t simply be a factory, and it won’t simply be a training centre. It will be both,” Nair explained. “Rather than training on simulated equipment, apprentices will work alongside experienced professionals using the same machinery, systems, and quality processes found in modern manufacturing.”
By combining government alignment, institutional vocational education, and direct private-sector placement, the group aims to create a sustainable pipeline of certified local technicians capable of supporting Cambodia’s industrial growth.
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Source: https://cambodiainvestmentreview.com/
