PHNOM PENH: More than 140,000 young people from vulnerable and at-risk families, including workers from both the informal and formal economies, have applied to enrol in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training program (TVET 1.5M).
Among the many fields of study on offer, business and information technology attracted the highest number of applicants.
According to Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training spokesperson Sun Mesa, as of August 2025, a total of 140,981 students had applied for enrolment in the TVET 1.5M programme.
Of them, 31,485 are currently studying, 56,682 have already graduated, and 29,190 have secured employment.
Among the applicants, 60,185 were granted equity cards, allowing them access to social protection.
Mesa shared the five sectors with the highest enrolment figures. They were Business and Information Technology, with 27,915 students, Tourism, with 21,661, Construction, with 21,286, Agriculture and Agro-Industry, with 17,347, and Services, with 17,079.
He called on young people — particularly migrant workers returning from Thailand — to register for the TVET 1.5M programme so they can gain practical skills that can be used to start their own businesses or to find employment.
This, he noted, will help improve their livelihoods, secure stable employment, increase productivity and provide them with decent incomes.
The TVET programme was initiated by Senate president Hun Sen in 2023 and officially launched by Prime Minister Hun Manet on Nov 14, 2023. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
