Over the past nine months, nearly 4,000 young people belonging to poor and vulnerable sections in the country have graduated from vocational and technical training programs, said Pen Bona, Minister Delegate attached to the Prime Minister and Head of the Royal Government Spokesman Unit (RGSU) on Monday.
Bona said that some successful graduates have got jobs in companies and some started their own businesses.
Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) has selected 38 skills in 10 fields for the first phase of the programme. The 10 sectors include construction, electricity, electronics, general mechanics, tourism, services, agro-industry, business and information technology.
Addressing a press meet, Bona said that more than 50,000 young people have enrolled in the vocational and training program, of which nearly 4,000 have graduated.
The poor and vulnerable youths not only get training free of charge but also receive a monthly allowance of 280,000 riels ($70) he said.
Bona said that one of Mr Hun Manet’s big dreams is that anyone who is born a Khmer, whether rich or poor, must have a skill for his/her own life to earn for living.
Terming the achievement as “very important”, Bona said, “We will continue this program till we reach 1.5 million young people, which the Royal Government has set a goal to implement.”
It may be recalled, Prime Minister Hun Manet in November last year, announced the implementation of vocational training programs for 1.5 million young people from poor and vulnerable families to provide professional and technical skills to young Cambodians to have a decent job to improve their family life.
“We’re confident that the program will contribute to reducing the poverty to below 10 percent,” Mr Hun Manet said.
Yang Peou, Secretary-General of the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC), told Khmer Times on Wednesday that the vocational and technical training programs play an important role in the development of the economy and business, especially in the economic-social that each nation needs skills people.
“This is a basic principle in the economic system of each country, not to mention a weak economic country like Cambodia, even the United States, the technical skill plays an important role,” said Peou.
“The more people receive the vocational training, the stronger the national and family economic system. I would like to say that the Royal Government has set out this vocational training policy to strengthen the economic system and the participation of our youth in this training is a good part for themselves and the society.”