Developing Policy Recommendations for Vocational Education Management at Community Learning Centers in Crisis Situations

Abstract

This study examines how Community Learning Centers (CLCs) in Cambodia managed vocational education during the COVID-19 pandemic and develops evidence-based policy recommendations to strengthen institutional resilience in future crises. Adopting policy evidence-based qualitative research design, the study was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 involved semi-structured interviews with 18 participants-three administrators, six trainers, and nine learners-and applied thematic analysis to examine policy implementation, learning models, management challenges, and learning outcomes. Phase 2 translated these empirical findings into policy action through systematic gap analysis and expert validation, engaging 17 experts from Cambodia, Thailand, and the United States to assess proposed guidelines in terms of relevance, feasibility, sustainability, and potential impact. The findings reveal that vocational education management at CLCs during the pandemic was severely constrained by chronic underfunding, weak institutional capacity, limited digital infrastructure, low trainer digital competence, and the absence of formal accreditation under the Cambodian National Qualifications Framework (CNQF). Although on-site, online, and on-hand learning models represented adaptive responses to crisis conditions, they were implemented in a largely reactive manner and resulted in fragmented learning experiences with limited practical skill development, particularly in rural areas. Consequently, learning outcomes were weak, and graduates reported low employability and continued socio-economic vulnerability. Gap analysis identified six critical deficiencies: inadequate trainer digital capacity, lack of flexible technology-enabled learning models, unequal access to internet infrastructure, weak evaluation and quality assurance mechanisms, outdated and poorly aligned curricula, and fragile sustainability arrangements. These deficiencies were validated by experts as highly relevant and feasible policy priorities. The study concludes that targeted investment in digital capacity building, infrastructure expansion, curriculum modernization, accreditation alignment, and sustainable governance mechanisms is essential to reposition CLCs as resilient, inclusive, and community-anchored institutions. By integrating field-based qualitative evidence with expert certification, this study contributes a replicable, context-sensitive framework to guide crisis-responsive vocational education and training (TVET) reform in Cambodia and similar developing contexts.