Cambodia Needs Up to 29,000 EV Workers by 2040 Under New Skills Plan

Cambodia will need roughly 11,000 additional solar workers every year, plus 6,500 to 8,900 energy efficiency professionals and between 17,000 and 29,000 workers across the electric vehicle value chain through 2040, according to research by EnergyLab and Sevea. A five-year plan endorsed in Phnom Penh on Nov. 3–4 is meant to close that gap.

The demand figures sit behind three national targets: by 2030, Cambodia aims to generate 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, cut energy consumption by 19 percent and put 770,000 EVs on the road. The workforce isn't there yet — companies and training providers report shortages in battery energy storage, solar system design, measurement and verification for efficiency projects, and EV safety and battery diagnostics.

What does the plan actually do?

The Clean Energy Skills Ecosystem Action Plan (2026–2030), developed by EnergyLab with industry, training institutions, government and development partners, was endorsed during the inaugural meetings of two Clean Energy Skills Forums — one covering solar and energy efficiency, the other focused on the EV workforce. About 60 representatives participated. The forums are co-chaired by the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) and the Skills Development Fund (SDF), alongside private sector representatives.

Unlike a typical recommendations document, each action gets designated lead and supporting actors, plus identified funding responsibilities. Key measures include:

• Standardized competency profiles for priority occupations, defining the skills, tasks and responsibilities of each role
• Standardized training packages so teachers can fold those competencies into new and existing curricula
• Targeted pilot courses — institutional and in-company — covering battery storage, solar system design, efficiency measurement and verification, and EV safety and diagnostics
• Recognition of prior learning frameworks and stackable micro-certificates, so workers can have existing skills certified and build on them
• Measures to raise participation by women and other underrepresented groups in the clean energy workforce

For an individual worker, that translates into a concrete market position: recognized credentials in battery diagnostics or solar design are likely to carry weight with employers who currently can't find people who hold them. The plan also backs the government's goal of equipping 1.5 million people with skills through technical and vocational education and training (TVET) by 2030.

What did the people behind it say?

La Vibol, an undersecretary of state at the Labour Ministry, said bringing industry together with trainers would help identify workforce shortages and address bottlenecks across the sectors. "And the Action Plan provides clear guidance for how development and government partners can direct their resources to help overcome these challenges," he said.

SDF CEO Ky Sokkim said public-private-people partnerships let the fund co-design, co-deliver and co-invest in training that matches actual business needs. "By pooling investment and expertise, we can build a more competitive clean energy industry and create better jobs and higher incomes for Cambodians," he said.

Ivan Keogh, CEO of Comin Group Asia and private sector co-chair of the Solar and Energy Efficiency Skills Forum, said the forum lets companies connect more broadly with donors and peers to collaboratively overcome sector-wide bottlenecks. H.E. Mov Sokha, director of the Automotive Centre of Excellence–Cambodia (ACE-C) School, which co-chairs the EV forum, said ACE-C is developing training for all brands and types of EVs because of "the urgent need to scale up the EV repair workforce."

The forums and plan sit under the Building a Clean Energy Skills Ecosystem for Cambodia project, a three-year effort (2025–2027) led by EnergyLab Asia with Sevea, funded by the Liechtenstein Development Service. Leakhena Saroeurn, LED's country coordinator, called the transition "also a skills and employability transition," while EnergyLab's Elisabeth Gish said the forums would map and coordinate existing initiatives to avoid duplication.

The forums will meet regularly, with their next sessions scheduled for early 2027.