Using Soft Skills in Non-Formal Education: Training of Trainers in Cambodia

PRIA facilitated a training of trainers (ToT) on using soft skills in non-formal education in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 22 to 27 February 2016, in collaboration with DVV International’s Regional Office for South and South East Asia and NGO Education Partnership (NEP), Cambodia.  This training was a follow up to a similar training facilitated by PRIA in Laos for partners of DVV’s Regional Office in October 2015.

The workshop was hosted by NEP, a network of NGOs in Cambodia. Through this network they reach out to a large number of stakeholders in all the 25 provinces of Cambodia. A total of 15 persons from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia participated. The group comprised of eight women and seven men. Most of the participants work in the non-formal education sector either with government and/or development organizations.

The design for the workshop was prepared keeping principles of participatory training methodology in mind. For this, learners’ understanding on the concepts of soft skills, adult learning and various methods of participatory training methods was built in the first few sessions. In the second part, the learners themselves facilitated the sessions on themes related to Team Building, Leadership, Decision Making Communication, and Collaboration and Conflict. The learners used various participatory training methods to facilitate these sessions which included learning games, learning exercises, and lecture method among other. On the last day of the ToT, all participants visited the historical sites in Phnom Penh city.

The learners appreciated the participatory training methodology used in the workshop. It gave them an opportunity to design and practice sessions on a new topic. Many of them shared that this training helped them in improving their training skills.

As a follow up plan, participants from Cambodia are planning to organise a training on use of soft skills in non-formal education in May 2016. Participants from Laos and Vietnam shared their plans of incorporating sessions from this ToT in their upcoming trainings.

PRIA is going to prepare a manual on use of soft skills in non-formal education. Participants from all three countries showed interest and willingness to translate the manual into their respective languages, and incorporating local examples in the manuals.