One Specific Skill
Sunday, July 08, 2007 - Editor: Tiep Seiha
Today Cambodia jobless is the most concerned. In this case, especially it broke out to student graduation. Some of students just go to university without clearing decision yet about their future. This is some clues to construct a good verdict to study. Mr. Prach Minea, responsible of Département de L’emploi Francophone gives an interview as following.
Tiep Seiha: Which are the most successful majors in Cambodia?
Prach Minea: (Speaking with gesture) well, based on my experience the job requires person who has high potential. We cannot say which job is the best, but today the market needs person who has a specific skill that can improve their companies not the person know this some and know that some.
What are specific skills that students should study?
The specific skills here means that the constructional, health, technological and agricultural field. In Cambodia these majors are very significant. Example today, Cambodia has own oil and mine wells under offshore of the sea, so in technological is really necessary. And the Institute of Technology of Cambodia is designing this course. In short, student should study the specific majors such as engineering, health, information technology and agriculture economic. These majors are independent and at leas we can process our business after graduation.
What level of education should be for student to obtain more jobs opportunities?
Yes, throwing two years experience of working in DEF I can say if the level is higher, the chance of getting job is better. But we should look at budged. It’s whether should go to higher or stop for a while to explore work. And in the Cambodia market, the more times to catch job is student studying at vocational training program taught by other institutions and NGOs on the specific skill such as mending engine, food cooking, bakery and garment field. Student just spend at most two year of training they can hold a job and they get salary from $60 to $100.
What is your thought to advice student should go to among 62 state and private universities and institutes?
(Big breathing) of course, among these institutions are recognized by the government and the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport. But student their self ought to know their self first whether what subjects they are good at. I have some advising to share which may help student to stick some clues to steer their future. If students wish to learn at law, economics and economics information technological students should go to Royal University of Law and Economic, study at English literatures and information technology of programming go to Royal University of Phnom Penh, Graphics, design information technologies go to Nation University of Management, Engineering and general information technologies go to Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Health field go to University of Health Science, Architecture go to Royal University of Fine Arts and agricultures go to Royal University of Agriculture. Avoid studying two majors all at once which may lead unsuccessful in the future.
What are the factors and obstacle that cause jobless after graduation?
Actually, this is a big problem. The students should know that the job never run to us but we have to go. Some students think some jobs aren’t suitable to their degree. This is not good opinion. Students should start step by step. We can build wall from the bottom to the top. In addition, students their self just get bachelor degree without enough qualification. Another is all employees when they choose candidates to employ, they behold CV first and second thing in the CV they observe the university. And as I know there are about ten institutions that the employee respects. Those institutions are RUPP, UHS, RULE, NUM, ITC, RUA, RUFA, EFI, PUC, NUM, Furthermore; students are required to distinguish how to write CV to be good.
What is your outlook for students jobless after graduation?
The jobless students should combine in group of three or five to produce own job. For instant, IT students should have more creative thinking about what they have studied and try to hook up with other companies, organizations and NGOs as much as possible. Don’t give up chance. It’s a bad habit that we wait job from other but we don’t invent by ourselves.
What is your advice to students to obtain more chances to get job in the future?
(Nock the table with his fists heavily), students besides study theories they have to absorb experiences of working. In announcements every work requires at leas one year experience. So, these are my ideas. Students should try to study and should have part-time job or full-time job as much as they can, but students don’t look at money is important than study. To have a good reputation has to do something difficult first and good results come later. However, today NGOs are absorbing people to work more than other institutions.
DEF is a non government organization that is published in Cambodia in 2005 in the purpose of providing and recruitment job to Cambodian students. DEF is joined by three institutions Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), Chambre de Commerce Franco-Cambodgienne (CCFC) and ORGANISATION INTERNATIONALE DE LA FRANCOPHOIE. And DEF steps in Ho CHi Minh in 1996 and in Hanoi in 2000.
The data of the number of universities and institute in academic year 2006-2007
State university is 12 and institute is 12, private university is 21 and institute is 17.
The number of students and lecturers of bachelor degree among 14 places in academic 2006-2007 are first year students to year fourth have 90.113 people, included lady student 31.804 candidates and the number of graduation students totally is 13.983 people included lady student 4.370 candidates. The number of lecturers totally is 5.599 included foreign lecturers 287.
Name: Prach Minea
Position: Responsible of DEF
Education: Engineer of industrial and mechanic pole at Institute of Technology of
Cambodia, and today he is continuing master degree of Management at Royal University of Law and Economic.
Experience: seven years of works experience included working at DEF two years.
