Students walk out a private university in Phnom Penh 08 October 2007. As Cambodia turns the corner from political strife, it is being confronted with one of its biggest challenges to development: huge numbers of newly-minted university graduates with high expectations, but few worthy jobs and dimming hopes for the future. (AFP/File/Tang Chhin Sothy) Thursday October 25, 2007
PHNOM PENH (AFP) - With more than two years to go before he graduates, university student Kiang Saran is already so crippled by unemployment fears that his grades are slipping.
The pressure to land a job and support his family in Cambodia's rural Prey Veng province is a "constant worry," the 22-year-old economics major says, as he sits waiting for classes to begin at Phnom Penh's Royal University of Law and Economics.
"There is never a time I don't think about this," he tells AFP.
Kiang Saran is just like tens of thousands of young Cambodian men and women -- smart, ambitious and eager to ride the country's post-war boom that has generated double-digit economic growth and re-emerging middle class affluence.
But as the country turns the corner from political strife, it is being confronted with one of its biggest challenges to development: huge numbers of newly-minted university graduates with high expectations, but few worthy jobs and dimming hopes for the future.
"This is a big, big problem in our society," says Neau Vira, programme director for the Faculty of Education at Pannasastra University of Cambodia.
Between 1996 and 2006, Cambodia's young labour force -- more than half of the country's population is now under the age of 25 -- grew by a staggering 78 percent.
This is compared with an average of six percent in other ASEAN countries, according to the International Labour Organisation, and also coincided with an explosion in university enrollment as Cambodia enjoyed increasing stability and prosperity.
Seven years ago, only 25,000 Cambodians were participating in some form of higher education.
By 2007, that number had increased to around 91,000, according to figures from the think-tank Economic Institute of Cambodia (EIC). At the same time, though, only one in 10 university graduates have found work, creating a daunting challenge for the country, which overall remains mired in poverty despite the economic successes.
On a recent visit to Cambodia, World Bank president Robert Zoellick addressed the issue of the country's labour market, saying some 300,000 jobs needed to be created each year to keep up with the demand for work.
Cambodian Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh echoed Zoellick's thoughts on the urgent need for jobs, pointing out that it has taken Cambodia's garment sector, the country's main industrial employer, nine years to create a total of 330,000 positions.
Those are almost all low-skilled, low-wage jobs, highlighting one of most serious obstacles to white-collar employment in Cambodia; a glaring miss-match between university education and the demands of Cambodia's job market.
The largely agricultural country remains propped up by the most narrow of industrial sectors -- garments and tourism, neither of which require the skill sets taught at most universities.
"We did a study with garment factory manufacturers to see if the curriculum taught in Cambodian universities fit what the industry needed," says EIC director Sok Hach.
"Almost none did," he says, adding that efforts to create hospitality programmes to feed Cambodia's growing tourism industry have also floundered.
Young Cambodians are churned out by the thousands with various specialities, from law and management to communications and languages.
But with little official oversight, the quality of Cambodian universities swings broadly from good to bad, and observers warn that many are simply degree factories intent only on collecting tuition fees.
"Some of these schools give out diplomas that are useless, which parents have paid a lot of money for," one Western diplomat says.
At the same time, many students are short-sighted, rushing to secure any degree, no matter how irrelevant it might be to the existing job market, says Pannasastra University's Neau Vira.
"They don't think much about the job after graduation," he says, adding that many university graduates are woefully naive about the realities of employment.
"Their expectation is to get a good job, but they don't even know what a good job really means to them or what a good job is," Neau Vira says.
The result is thousands of recent graduates -- however under-qualified they might be -- competing for a few select posts in the private or government sectors.
"So many students graduate with degrees in law and economics," says Nop Ratanak, 22, a fourth year law student at the Royal University of Law and Economics and president of its student association.
"Like for me, the job market is so narrow, I may have to find another option," he says, adding that he hoped more foreign investment in the future would spur job growth.
But government figures show that foreign investment, while on the rise, is still likely to create mostly low-wage, labour-intensive work in factories or on construction sites.
The most likely alternative for many like economics student Kiang Saran is to do nothing.
"I've heard a lot of university students say they've graduated and don't have jobs," he says, before settling in to the first lecture of the day.
"Many of those who earned a degree, including my friends, can't find work and simply stay home.
"I have never had hope that this school will find a job for me," he says. "There are many candidates applying for one job."
The pressure to land a job and support his family in Cambodia's rural Prey Veng province is a "constant worry," the 22-year-old economics major says, as he sits waiting for classes to begin at Phnom Penh's Royal University of Law and Economics.
"There is never a time I don't think about this," he tells AFP.
Kiang Saran is just like tens of thousands of young Cambodian men and women -- smart, ambitious and eager to ride the country's post-war boom that has generated double-digit economic growth and re-emerging middle class affluence.
But as the country turns the corner from political strife, it is being confronted with one of its biggest challenges to development: huge numbers of newly-minted university graduates with high expectations, but few worthy jobs and dimming hopes for the future.
"This is a big, big problem in our society," says Neau Vira, programme director for the Faculty of Education at Pannasastra University of Cambodia.
Between 1996 and 2006, Cambodia's young labour force -- more than half of the country's population is now under the age of 25 -- grew by a staggering 78 percent.
This is compared with an average of six percent in other ASEAN countries, according to the International Labour Organisation, and also coincided with an explosion in university enrollment as Cambodia enjoyed increasing stability and prosperity.
Seven years ago, only 25,000 Cambodians were participating in some form of higher education.
By 2007, that number had increased to around 91,000, according to figures from the think-tank Economic Institute of Cambodia (EIC). At the same time, though, only one in 10 university graduates have found work, creating a daunting challenge for the country, which overall remains mired in poverty despite the economic successes.
On a recent visit to Cambodia, World Bank president Robert Zoellick addressed the issue of the country's labour market, saying some 300,000 jobs needed to be created each year to keep up with the demand for work.
Cambodian Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh echoed Zoellick's thoughts on the urgent need for jobs, pointing out that it has taken Cambodia's garment sector, the country's main industrial employer, nine years to create a total of 330,000 positions.
Those are almost all low-skilled, low-wage jobs, highlighting one of most serious obstacles to white-collar employment in Cambodia; a glaring miss-match between university education and the demands of Cambodia's job market.
The largely agricultural country remains propped up by the most narrow of industrial sectors -- garments and tourism, neither of which require the skill sets taught at most universities.
"We did a study with garment factory manufacturers to see if the curriculum taught in Cambodian universities fit what the industry needed," says EIC director Sok Hach.
"Almost none did," he says, adding that efforts to create hospitality programmes to feed Cambodia's growing tourism industry have also floundered.
Young Cambodians are churned out by the thousands with various specialities, from law and management to communications and languages.
But with little official oversight, the quality of Cambodian universities swings broadly from good to bad, and observers warn that many are simply degree factories intent only on collecting tuition fees.
"Some of these schools give out diplomas that are useless, which parents have paid a lot of money for," one Western diplomat says.
At the same time, many students are short-sighted, rushing to secure any degree, no matter how irrelevant it might be to the existing job market, says Pannasastra University's Neau Vira.
"They don't think much about the job after graduation," he says, adding that many university graduates are woefully naive about the realities of employment.
"Their expectation is to get a good job, but they don't even know what a good job really means to them or what a good job is," Neau Vira says.
The result is thousands of recent graduates -- however under-qualified they might be -- competing for a few select posts in the private or government sectors.
"So many students graduate with degrees in law and economics," says Nop Ratanak, 22, a fourth year law student at the Royal University of Law and Economics and president of its student association.
"Like for me, the job market is so narrow, I may have to find another option," he says, adding that he hoped more foreign investment in the future would spur job growth.
But government figures show that foreign investment, while on the rise, is still likely to create mostly low-wage, labour-intensive work in factories or on construction sites.
The most likely alternative for many like economics student Kiang Saran is to do nothing.
"I've heard a lot of university students say they've graduated and don't have jobs," he says, before settling in to the first lecture of the day.
"Many of those who earned a degree, including my friends, can't find work and simply stay home.
"I have never had hope that this school will find a job for me," he says. "There are many candidates applying for one job."
32 comments:
Damn, it has been a while since I have seen an article about job. Yes, this is a serious issue. It is a cause of most issue we have seen in Cambodia. I know it is a very difficult problem to solve. All I wanted to see that we all united to improve the jobless condition in Cambodia before other issue, no more excuses, please!
Shame! Shame! Shame! for the government without vision to run the country. This government spend most of their time worry not to lose the election than to do the government work. I never believe they geniunely care for their people. Yes there are many short-sighted people in Cambodia. Now that we are in crisis and the youths will not see education to advance their career anymore. Instead of the government encourage they discourage the youths from going to school.
If Your Guys are keeping Elected Hun Sen for 2008 again I don't know what are you thinking?.Prohok Khmer lived in Lynn Mass.
Khmer people are stupid. They keep on electing the same leader who is destorying their lives over and over again. The current leader is more fit to fight in the jungle or collecting garage on the street than to run the country. The ability is simply not there. I mean what do you expect from a guy like that? To give you jobs and prosperity? Keep on voting him and your dream will come true... in the next lifetime.
Cambodia without vision, 1:18? look in the picture again and tell me what is wrong with that vision?
1:55, Khmer is not evil westerner. We don't change the tiptop leader, only those underneath. get it?
1:30, what we are thinking is to lock your stupid westerner trained people out of politic so that we can take Cambodia up to the next level. You got the picture?
The kids seem to know more than the government. They did their part to learn but the government did nothing to fulfill it. They let the country drifts. Where is the hope for the new generation? What will they do after school? Is the prostitution will always be apart for Cambodia children?
Yes, that's right, Cambodia is now slowly drifted out of poverty.
2:37 am, yes, I got your picture. Cambodia become YOUN state and Khmer become the Vietcong slave.
Well, that is still certainly better than what Pol Pot and your westerner trained people had in store of us.
The basic premise of this article centered on the question of newly minted degreed young Cambodia men and women unable to secure employment consistent with their degrees or any form of employment due largely to limit pool of job availability within Cambodia.
This is indeed a problem as highlighted by the article. Our government is under pressure to produce jobs, and if this young men and women are unable to secure a position and to support their family, there can be a serious repercussion in Cambodia.
This same problem faced Cambodia back in the 1960s when our King, country and social institution encouraged education, but did not encourage social and economic policies to accommodate the number of educated young people who graduated from Cambodia colleges and universities.
This lack of employment policies was a factor to the rise of the Khmer Rouge and the devastating revolution, civil and social unrest that ensured.
Cambodia of the 21th century is given a second chance to correct the error of the past committed by our leaders and our king. An open society free of threat, free of overly corruption, and has a government that facilitates and encourage its people to thrive, is a society that generates businesses and jobs, which in turn help to absorb excessive labor force, which Cambodia colleges and universities
churned out yearly...
Our government and people must observe Thailand, Malaysia, America and some European countries economic polices more closely. The question we should address then is: "Why are these countries able to absorb their young labor force, which are 10 time larger? How did they do it?
For Cambodia to survive the next few centuries, it must make itself the center of commerce and the hub of transportation, tourism, and trade... It is now time for Cambodia government to take a hard look at Cambodia's future. After all Cambodia is not just merely any country... It is the Land of the the Naga, the Funan, the Chenla,and the Angkorian.
The blood of these ancient people still flow strongly in the vein of a Cambodian of today....
6:04, we know how Thailand, Malaysia, America, ... , or Singapore did it, but we are not fully grown economically like them yet. We still are in job deficits until we are fully grown. Right now, just be glad if we can manage to get any job for these newbies.
Hmm ... I wonder where are these students hiding their books and papers these days? the only person who appeared to have a book is the girl in the red shirt standing deep in the picture. Are these kids really Cambodia brightest that they don't need books and papers to go to school?
Cambodia is not investor friendly country. The problems consist of corruption, government red taps, infrastructure, moral and ethical values, work ethics, court system, impunity, crime, human resource,lack of law enforcement, lack of laws and security ect... All of these are translating into lack of investors' confidence. Cambodia will not go anywhere unless we work hard to resolve these issues.
It is not a good sign when the recent news said there were old, retirement-aged officials bribed their ministers or bosses so they could stay on the job longer. Starting from the "tiptop"(sic!) all these old greedy people are afraid of losing their status quo.
Yes, and I bet you got that from KKF et al. Fact of the matter is you can work until you drop dead without bribing anyone.
Sad to say... Maybe some of these girls in the pics will work in the Karaoke soon...
This is Hun Sen government.
Economy is build by tourism (a lots of fake tourism = sex), prostitutions, karaoke, casinos, srey lancee, etc.
Does the middle class people have time to think about the future ?
Now the middle class's people = poor. The low class = poor ... too..
MY GOD, why You like Hun Sen ????
Hey, any job is better than no job.
This is the issue of Cambodian education...If Cambodian people receive good quality education and most of them without a doubt can create their own job but the problem is Cambodian education under AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave system is so corrupted and so undervalue and the so called Cambodian University are training or teaching Cambodian people to be a dummy! By the way I have only two years of college and I create my own job and still earn decent money to support my living of standard! So I will sum it all up by quoting two paragraphs directly from the article!
"But with little official oversight, the quality of Cambodian universities swings broadly from good to bad, and observers warn that many are simply degree factories intent only on collecting tuition fees."
"Some of these schools give out diplomas that are useless, which parents have paid a lot of money for," one Western diplomat says"
This is the real picture of Cambodian educational system!
Hey, you are talking big buck private university here. This institution will left Berkley/Yale/and Harvard in the dust, dude.
dear all fellow who post so many ideas in this blog about job, i knew that all of you are living in western or better place than me in Cambodia and countryside everyday, you all have different perpective and understand about current situation by reading, TV or other means, non of you staying in the country more than a year. so please dont talk and make yourself that you know everything in cambodia.
there are, sure, hundres of university in country, most of them are useless, but everyone of fellow Khmer have to go to get a pieces of certificate by spending so much money from their parent pocket, because in the job ads the demand of such pieces of paper is there.
alot of cant find job after graduated, some because sale person, some work in restaurant and hotel some other even be motor taxi driver, everyone wish to get a better job after school, but if not, no much choice, garment is the best invesment in the country but it is labour work which not require the university graduated to operate sawing machine.
where another foreign investment happened???? no, inflation 10% every year, what should our fellow farmer coutryside people do??? if most of land are sold and fenced off by the rich and powerfull from the city. no land for farming, where else can they find job??? thailand?? malaysia as ilegal worker??? YES no choice when the stomach is empty what else to think about???
anyone of you can can tell me why there is no big campany invest in the country???? corruption????
:-(
The only job available for nearly all graduates is to work for those Western and International NGOs trying to help Cambodia. In the Cambodia Daily, you can find jobs posted all the time. However, the qualification is getting tougher, since there are alot of graduates out there.
Hey, job is job, and when you have more people than jobs, you must compete for it, and the winner are those with the toilet paper, alright?
To 7:37PM!
Lack of specialize skills and lack of entrepreneurial spirit among Cambodian people! With the right kind of knowledge combine with know how such as hand on training or internship and you can create your very own business or job!
10:35, do you know how rare entrepreneur is? It is not something that the school can crank out. You must be gifted.
Anyway, you don't need to be an entrepreneur to make a living, so long there are Entrepreneurs, and they need not to be Khmer. They can be Vietnamse, Chinese, French, ... .
To 4:22PM!
Shut the fuck up fool! It doesn't take a gifted person to be entrepreneur!There is something wrong with your mindset!
Do you think the Vietnamese, the Chinese, the French...are in business to share their knowledge and give you the know how or even willing to take you by the hand to show what does it takes to run the fucken business or be entrepreneur? The fact is no! Your fuck up brain need to know from now on that the art of doing business must be taught through personal level and it is an acquire knowledge and people don't born with that kind of knowledge!
This is about making a lot of money that can support your living of standard and it is not about the Vietnamese, the Chinese, the French...It is all about making money!
Good luck bone head! The very reason that you see only the Vietnamese, the Chinese, the French...are doing business or become an entrepreneur because they enjoy making money off your stupid head! Ahahhahah!
Now go do the right bone head before I kick your stupid arse!
Oh yeah, professor 11:45, and just where did the school they their materials from to teach it to students?
To 3:51AM!
First I don't need a fucken title from a retard fool like you! OK!
Second, I don't want to be anywhere nears you and you ain't gonna get anything from me!
The fact that you have mentioned that "where the school get their materials to teach the students" and that alone says it all!
You are facing three tough situations here!
First- You have a fuck up school!
Second- You have a fuck up teacher!
Third- The student is also fucking up!
The end result and of you are a fucken loser! Remember! The world doesn’t deal with fucken loser and if the world do choose to engage with you fool and the world will make you fool as their slave!
I am done with you fool and don't talk to me again! Shaking my head!
That's fine professor, but you didn't answer the question. You told us that the school has to teach Entrepreneurship to the student, but we still don't know who teach Entrepreneurship to the school. Do you mind tell us about it, professor?
To 9:31AM!
What? What you want now! What kind a stupid question is that! Are you are trying to put me on the spot? You quoted me wrong bonehead! I have never said about having your damn school has to teach Entrepreneurship to the student and if the school can and why not? Listen bonehead! Your school is too poor to attract good qualify teachers with real world experience or professional and to solve any kind of fucken problem require some money and you must admit that money talk, money is the power, money to pay taxes, money to pay your bills, and money to make the world go round!
Here are the fucken solutions! You need to find a mentor or someone who has the knowledge about the business or the specialize field and she or he is willing to take you under their wing and it doesn’t matter whether it is Chinese, Vietnamese, French, and Cambodian or even a five years old kid! Maybe you need to ask some funding from your government to hire a real professional who is working in the field already to come to teach and to pass on their real world experience to the student. Hey! If the teaching positions offer a good salary and I am sure the school will attract many professionals to the school! But if your fucken government is being cheap and said there is no funding for such program then you will have to seek the private sectors through any channel...such as use the Chinese, Vietnamese, French...or whatever and the school can turn around charge the student more money to pay for the teacher salary! Ha-ha! And if the students don’t have money they can loan the money from the government or whatever! Watch out for loan shark! Ahahha
Let be serious here! This is about having a job right? Right! Do you know how proud a man can be knowing that he owns a business or a job that earn the kind of money that can support his family and I can see and feel that there will be more peace and harmony and the quietness in the house replacing all the screaming, the drinking, the fighting, the arguing about all the little bullshit and the worry and all the stress on the wife and children! Damn it is a good feeling knowing that the wife and the children will respect the father as the leader of the house knowing that the father can support the family financially!
I remembered when I start my first business which I didn't even have any experience in doing any damn business. I didn't even have good interpersonal skill or financial knowledge because school didn't teach in depth about any of those things and all that I know is fear! The fear of failing which is very hard to overcome even though I have mentor because I had to invest a large portion of my personal income in the damn business! But this is what I know that when I need to do something and I want to be successful and I will do it like my life depend on it! And beside I have a family to feed! Once I decided to do the business and the fear is gone and of course a lot of sacrifice my part such as sleepless night and all the up and down with the damn business and I didn’t have a choice except to make the damn business work! Hey! Ten years later, my business is still running and now I can afford to hire more people to working with me! Being a business owner is what you called self-employ because your business is your job and of course business represent who you are in the world!
Fair enough, dude (3:35), that is all we want to hear.
Hey, when you have spare times, come on down, I am certain that you can be a great mentor here. We don't want no corrupted professors. Khmer people don't like them.
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