Cambodia Offers Over 1,000 Vocational Scholarships for Underprivileged Youth

The National Institute of Business (NIB) has launched a major vocational training initiative, offering 1,035 scholarship slots across 10 distinct majors for youth from poor and vulnerable families. The programme is part of the Royal Government of Cambodia’s nationwide "TVET 1.5M" initiative, which aims to provide technical and vocational education and training to 1.5 million underprivileged youth. In addition to free tuition, eligible students will receive a monthly cash stipend from the Royal Government. According to the NIB, an institution under the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, the 10 available majors span several technical and service sectors: Computer Graphic Design, Computer Services, Administrative Services, Customer Services, Digital Technology Installation and Implementation, Computer Network Installation and Maintenance, Business Creation and Entrepreneurship, Online Sales Services, Baking, and Beverage Business. To qualify for the scholarships, applicants must be Cambodian citizens aged 15 or older and hold a valid national ID card or birth certificate. To receive the additional monthly Royal Government stipend, students must present an equity card (Poor Level 1 or 2) or a vulnerable family identification card. Training phases are scheduled to commence in early August 2026. Registration is currently open at the NIB campus located on Street 217 (Samdech Monireth), adjacent to the New Stung Meanchey Market in Phnom Penh. The vocational training framework was originally initiated in 2023 by former Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen and officially implemented on Nov. 14, 2023, under the administration of current Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet. By K. Rithy Reak