The shortages of skilled labor and quality human resources are among the greatest challenges facing the Cambodian economy, a new survey revealed Wednesday.

The survey was done based on the interviews of 355 enterprises nationwide by the International Labor Organization and the Cambodian Federation of Employers and Business Associations ( CAMFEBA).

"In terms of skills, over half of Cambodian firms feel that vocational education and training programs do not yet meet the needs of the business community," said the survey report entitled "Enabling Environment for Sustainable Enterprises in Cambodia."

The survey noted that while the quality of education and training providers currently available in the market is good, there are not enough providers.

"It is clear that we need to link the private sector more closely with technical and vocational education and training priorities and curriculum development," CAMFEBA's president Van Sou Ieng said at the report launching. "This needs to be a permanent and qualitative conservation."

The report gave a number of recommendations for the improvements to the general education system such as incorporating practical training, learning, entrepreneurship and innovation into curriculum design along with measures to improve dialogue, cooperation and information exchange among businesses, unions, educators and policy makers.

Cambodian Labor Minister Ith Samheng said thirty-two percent of the Cambodian population is under 15 years of age, and between 300, 000 and 400,000 young people enter the labor market each year.

"The survey result is crucial for Cambodia to identify weak points so that we can seek effective solutions to the issues," he said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen earlier this month stressed that the country needs to build quality and competent human capital to prepare for competition when the ASEAN Economic Community becomes a reality at the end of 2015.