APAC must avoid K‐shaped recovery, invest in resilience: UNESCAP

UNESCO and the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) recently joined hands to support lifelong learning among garment factory workers across the country. The strategic partnership through GMAC’s Cambodian Garment Training Institute (CGTI) will help ensure that the accredited Factory Literacy Programme (FLP) developed by the ministry of education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) and UNESCO will involve GMAC’s participation in its implementation.

The Cambodian garment sector employs a large number of female workers with low levels of literacy and skills. The Factory Literacy Programme was launched by UNESCO and the Cambodian ministry in 2016 as a targeted initiative to upskill these workers and help close the skill gap in the garment, footwear and apparel industry.


Tailored to the needs of migrant female factory workers, FLP equips learners with functional literacy and numeracy skills to help them cope with the day-to-day challenges of life, UNESCO said in a press release.

In 2021, UNESCO and MoEYS introduced new textbooks that will provide learners with the option to also obtain a Grade 6 equivalency.


Since its launch, FLP has reached 2,063 workers across 12 provinces through 25 partner factories, with an impressive 72 percent completion rate among learners. In 2021, it will be implemented in 11 factories across seven provinces.

The new partnership with GMAC will allow the Factory Literacy Programme to scale up to a larger number of factories across the country, and integrate CGTI’s strategic upskilling courses for both the programme learners and facilitators, who are factory employees, that will support their professional growth within the garment industry.

CGTI is Cambodia’s first fashion and textile training institute.

Source:Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)