Kambodscha: Jugend gibt Berufsbildungsprogrammen ein "Daumen hoch"

Youths give a thumbs up to vocational training programme

Youths have given the thumbs up to the government's Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme after it helped them to secure jobs because of the skills they learned.

The Labour Minstry yesterday celebrated National TVET Day, which aims to encourage more youths to learn vocational skills to improve their job prospects.

This year's National TVET Day was themed "TVET makes life better". Due to COVID-19, the government held the celebration online by working on producing digital content to raise public awareness about the significance of the programme.

In Vora, who studied to be an electrician, said his diploma enabled him to secure a job with Electricite Du Cambodge in Svay Rieng province.

"After I graduated as an electrician, it changed my life. I now have a job with a state institution in Svay Rieng province," he said. "I have income to improve my life and support my family. I thank my school for training me."

Chiet Koka, who studied engineering, said she encourages other women to study the course and stop thinking that only men are suitable for it.

"I work as an engineer at a construction site. It is a difficult job for me because it is hot and I have to work at high elevations on buildings," she said. "But I can work at a construction site just as any man can and I encourage women to take up the challenge and study to ensure a better career in the future."

Yem Keo Kaliyan, a teacher at the Optics Science Department of the National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia, said in the past many youths were not interested in enrolling for TVET courses, especially optics science, but now more are learning the skill to get better jobs and wages.

"I appeal to youths who graduate from high school and are interested in optics science to please apply to study this skill because they will get jobs or could run a business in the future as a result," she said.

During the online celebration, Labour Minister Ith Samheng appealed to relevant officials, development partners and the private sector to continue cooperating to support TVET to train youths.

"We hope in the future, Cambodia will have a big pool of human resource via TVET training to improve the country’s economy and reduce poverty," he said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday released a statement in conjunction with National TVET Day urging the public, especially youths, to take up vocational training, stating it will open more opportunities for employment.

He said that over the past five years, about 200,000 trainees, especially students, learnt skills through TVET and improved their job prospects or ventured successfully into business.