Pushing a practical education

Tep Sopoan, 19, participates in an auto mechanics training class at the Battambang Institute of Technology yesterday. (Photo by: Sothea Ros)

Friday, 16 December 2011
Vincent MacIsaac
The Phnom Penh Post

A one-month course at the Polytechnic Institute of Battambang provided Man Phumrin with a job and the skills he says will ensure he never again has to sneak across the border to Thailand in search of work.

When Man Phumrin was trafficked into Thailand, his first month’s salary covered the cost the smugglers charged his employer in Samut Prakan.

When he returned a year later, police patrolling the train from Bangkok to the border asked to see his passport. Man Phumrin didn’t have one, so they pocketed his meagre savings.

“When I worked in Thailand, I never had a day off. It was so expensive, I could save only a little, and even then the police took that from me,” he said.

Training course on “Logical Framework Approach (LFA)”

Dear Sir/Madame,

I have the great honor to inform you that People Living in Unified Society (PLUS) to organize the training course on “Logical Framework Approach (LFA)” on June 20-24, 2011 at the Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC), at RUPP-CJCC, Russian Confederation Blvd., Khan Toul Kork, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Please kindly find herewith the attached training announcement and application form.

This training course targets existing middle and top managers working in NGOs or donor communities, especially those who are involved in developing proposals to donors or managing programs on a daily basis such as executive directors, program/project managers, grants managers/officers, fundraising managers/officers, monitoring and evaluation managers/officers.

Anyone with ambitions to become program/project managers or grants officers in the future within NGOs setting or donor communities are strongly recommended to attend.

Should you have further information, please feel free to make contact me directly.

With best regards,

Miss. Chea Sokhom
Training Assistant
PLUS Cambodia
Tel: 023-699-9624
Mobile: 089-350-567
E-mail: training@pluscambodia.org


http://www.box.net/shared/fic27zrzt8


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"Logical Framework Approach" training course in Cambodia

Dear Sir/Madame,

Greeting!

People Living in Unified Society (PLUS) has the great honor to publicly announce a training course on “Logical Framework Approach (LFA)” which is to be held on June 20-24, 2011 at the Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC), at RUPP-CJCC, Russian Confederation Blvd., Khan Toul Kork, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Please kindly find herewith the attached training announcement.

This training course targets existing middle and top managers working in NGOs or donor communities, especially those who are involved in developing proposals to donors or managing programs on a daily basis such as executive directors, program/project managers, grants managers/officers, fundraising managers/officers, monitoring and evaluation managers/officers.

Anyone with ambitions to become program/project managers or grants officers in the future within NGOs setting or donor communities are strongly recommended to attend.

Training application form is available on request. Should you have further information, please contact me directly.

With best regards,

Miss. Chea Sokhom
Training Assistant
PLUS Cambodia
Tel: 023-699-9624
Mobile: 089-350-567
E-mail: training@pluscambodia.org

Plus Training Announcement

Plus Training Application Form

MasterCard and Angkor Wat Hotel Join Forces to Train Local Cambodian Women

September 7th, 2010
By Leon Kaye
Triple Pundit

Southeast Asia’s economy overall is booming, but not all nations are benefiting from the same levels of investment and success. One nation that is lagging behind is Cambodia. Education and infrastructure are lacking, and poverty is still widespread, especially in the countryside. Business leaders see the garment industry as an opportunity to lift the country’s economic prospects, but not all investors are convinced: The World Bank ranks Cambodia 145th in its “Ease of Doing Business” rankings. And while tourism has increased, many locals do not share in the economic benefits. While visitors marvel at Angkor Wat’s countless temples and stay at posh hotels, women in the area are often relegated to work like construction, which can pay as low as US$1 a day for a long day of hard labor.

One opportunity that can help improve the lives of Cambodian women is sewing. Companies like J. Crew have launched successful product lines that were manufactured in Cambodia, and now there may be more steppingstones for more Cambodians in the future. Through November 30, MasterCard and Hôtel de la Paix will team up to fund a sewing school that will teach women the skills they need in order to support themselves. The funding will occur thanks to a US$50 donation that will be made for every Hôtel de la Paix bill paid with a guest’s MasterCard.

The Purchase with Purpose initiative could very well make a difference, but there are also pragmatic reasons behind boosting the skills of Siem Reap Province. Hôtel de la Paix is pricey, with rooms ranging from US$265 to $715 a night, an awkward sum in a country that ranks among the world’s poorest. Some locals—and visitors–have criticized the extravagance of the hotel, so the partnership with MasterCard is a step in building stakeholder engagement. Many visitors to Angkor Wat only stay for two nights, or even just fly in for the day from Bangkok, and have no clue about the local conditions. Funding a school can prove that the hotel is serious about engaging in the local economy.

But there lies another reason why MasterCard could be investing in a such a project. The scars of war and terror under the Khmer Rouge regime will fade, and Cambodia, which has average 8% to 10% annual economic growth in recent years, will witness a growing middle class. And around the world, women often make the financial decisions for their families. MasterCard will become well known to the women that benefit from the Hôtel de la Paix sewing school, and eventually those women and their families will join the economic ranks that have discretionary income. Meanwhile, similar educational programs covering environmental awareness and public health will occur as a result of MasterCard’s involvement throughout Cambodia. Overall, it is an example of how a hand up—not a hand out—can improve a region’s quality of life.

CAMBODIA - Poor youths acquire skills at Caritas center

Saray Phirum (left) shows a painting done by a student from the center

March 25, 2010

TAKDOL, Cambodia (UCAN) – Cheng Theavin did not think he would be able to acquire a vocational skill as his parents could not afford to pay for anything beyond basic schooling.

However, thanks to the Youth Development Program of Caritas Cambodia, the 20-year-old is now studying art.

“I study without paying any fee,” he beamed. “Now I am acquiring a skill and I feel like any other student.”

Although only in the first year of his course at Caritas’ Vocational Training Center, he is already earning some money for his family by selling his artworks.

The center in Takdol village, Kandal province, has been providing such educational opportunities to poor youths for the past 18 years.

The students, aged 17-25, can enroll in the center if they have grade nine education and come from poor families, if they are handicapped or been trafficked.

In addition to art, the center also teaches computer, accounting, administration and community development skills. All courses last for two years.

Youth Development Program coordinator Saray Phirum said that the center not only teaches livelihood skills, it also “promotes human development and leadership.”

On March 18, the center held its 18th graduation ceremony for 128 students, 39 of whom were young women.

Instilling a love for learning

One of them, Kea Rum, 20, said, “I really appreciate this school. It provided me with a good skill and also helped me to find a job.”

Rum studied community development and now has a job at Norton University in Phnom Penh.

The Caritas center also has a hostel that provides accommodation and meals for 50 students from distant provinces.

One of the residents, Vann Den, 21, said: “We live like siblings. When we have a problem, we help each other and if we have something to eat, we share with each other too.”

He noted that the youth program also has a credit scheme to assist students who want to start their own businesses after graduation.

Caritas Cambodia director Monsignor Enrique Figaredo, apostolic prefect of Battambang, said at the March 18 ceremony that the center strives to instill a love for learning among young people.

When youths are given the opportunity to develop, society also benefits, he said.

Puun Paan, an official from the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, said the Caritas program is in line with the government’ strategy in developing the country’s human resources. “So we appreciate and continue to support” the Church agency, he said.

Since opening in 1992, a total of 1,842 students have graduated from the center. According to Phirum, most have found employment or are self-employed.

The beauty industry is proving a popular path

Salon students at Friends International's Mith Samlanh tend to their customers last week. (Photo by: SOVANN PHILONG)

A recent renovation at Mith Samlanh will offer more varied training for the growing number of students in the beauty sector. (Photo by: SOVANN PHILONG)

Monday, 16 March 2009
Written by Nora Lindstrom
The Phnom Penh Post

A variety of schools, from expensive private courses to a free program offered by an NGO working with street children, offer a lucrative career choice.

From the roadside barber to the top-end salon, the beauty industry in Phnom Penh offers something for everyone, at very affordable prices. While the quality remains highly variable, recent market developments are likely to result in the offering of more professional services as more beauty therapist hopefuls seek formal training.

"We need to keep up with the market so our students can find good jobs," said Natalie Elverd, a technical adviser at the NGO Friends International, in reference to recent renovations at the beauty rooms and nail bar of the organisation's Mith Samlanh school.

"We did the upgrade because we need to follow changes in the local economy. There has been an increase in salons, so we wanted to improve placement opportunities for our young people by providing them with a better learning environment to gain increasingly better skills," she said, adding that the renovations were made possible thanks to aid from the Australian government.

The Mith Samlanh students, who were formerly street children, are given the opportunity to choose a career in hair and beauty care from a variety of other potential careers.

While the beauty rooms are open to the public only during the centre's monthly flea markets, the nail bar inside the Friends 'n' Stuff shop is open on a daily basis and allows students to gain experience in a real working environment. "The idea behind opening this business for the students is for them to have hands-on training with the public. It gives them the opportunity to gain confidence and improve their [future] placement opportunities," Elverd said. She added that the training at Mith Samlanh also encompasses personal hygiene, customer service skills, how to care for and sterilise tools and how to keep the workspace clean.

"The training is of good standard, as well as constantly improving. The students are very popular and in high demand in the employment market. We often have job opportunities waiting for them," said Elverd, who herself has 20 years of experience from the Australian beauty industry.

There are several other beauty schools around Phnom Penh as well, catering to vast amounts of beauty therapist hopefuls, mainly girls. While the training at Mith Samlanh is free, many private schools charge significant amounts of money for their training programs.

Christina's Beauty School on Sihanouk Boulevard has achieved a good reputation in the Cambodian beauty industry during its almost decade- long existence. Here, an eight- to 10-month full course costs $590 and covers a curriculum of 19 subjects, while shorter courses focussing on specific skills are also available. Owner Sun Heang said the school is attended by more than 300 students, with recent graduates usually earning between $50 and $100 per month, depending on skills. "Once they finish the course, we also offer them the opportunity to work here in my salon, or else we help them find employment somewhere else," she said, adding that there is constant interest in the courses she offers.

"THE TRAINING IS OF GOOD STANDARD, AS WELL AS CONSTANTLY IMPROVING."

Socheat Beauty School offers training similar to Christina's, albeit at a slightly higher cost of $750 for a full course. Srei Oun, 23, has been studying there for approximately eight months along with some 100 other trainees. "I like it here. I have a lot of friends, also. My favourite thing is cutting hair," she said, though was slightly insecure about how much longer it would take for her to master all the skills necessary for a good job in the industry.

Srei Oun's sister Srei Neang, 27, has been a hairdresser for 15 years and in contrast to her sibling learned the trade through working her way up. "I started by working at Central Market when I was 12 doing manicures and pedicures, but have since worked at the salons of many top-end hotels," Srei Neang explained. "You can make a good living as a hairdresser," she added.

Srei Neang thinks it's better to learn while working, as opposed to going to school. "You can practise in reality straight away, and also you earn money," she said, noting that formal training can be too expensive for many people. Nevertheless, she does acknowledge that there are many salons in Phnom Penh where staff have no training whatsoever and that this is a problem. "They can open anywhere, but they don't know how to do [the services provided]" she said.

As the industry develops, services provided are likely to improve as more salons have professionally trained staff. A downside of this may be an increase in prices, yet for the time being hair and beauty treatments remain affordable to most, even if their quality is sometimes dubious.

The revamped Nail Bar at Friends 'n' Stuff will be open for business at the next Friends flea market, on Saturday, March 28.