Cambodia’s Free TVET Program Delivers 35,000 Jobs, Boosting Income for Poor Families

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Dec. 2, 2025) — Cambodia’s nationwide free Technical and Vocational Education and Training program, known as TVET 1.5M, is proving to be a major engine for job creation, with more than 35,000 graduates securing employment immediately after completing their courses, according to the Ministry of Labor.

Ministry spokesperson Sun Mesa said the program — designed for 1.5 million youth from poor and vulnerable families — has already enabled more than 20,000 trainees from low-income households to enter the workforce, earning an average salary of at least $300 a month.

He said the earnings allow graduates not only to support themselves but also to help sustain two additional family members, underscoring the program’s role in poverty reduction and economic empowerment.

Since its launch in late 2023, the TVET initiative has enrolled more than 145,000 trainees, including over 65,000 from poor families. Mesa emphasized that technical skills training is key to improving livelihoods, strengthening workforce stability and supporting national economic growth.

Amid the return of more than 90,000 Cambodian migrant workers from Thailand, the ministry is urging returnees to join TVET courses to upgrade their skills and secure better-paying jobs, especially as new factories and enterprises continue to open across Cambodia.

Mesa said having a skilled workforce is critical for attracting investment, calling the current moment a “golden opportunity” for both workers and the country’s industrial development.

The TVET 1.5M program — initiated by former Prime Minister Hun Sen and officially launched by Prime Minister Hun Manet in November 2023 — offers free training nationwide, with additional financial support provided to participants from poor and at-risk families.