Choose Skills, Choose Dignity: How TVET can Help Grade 12 Students become Heroes
Labour minister Heng Sour congratulates students at a recent graduation ceremony. Supplied
#Opinion
Every year, many Cambodian Grade 12 students face a difficult and emotional question: What comes next? For some, university is the right path. For others, the best future may begin at a Technical and Vocational Education and Training institution.
TVET is not a second choice, and it is not a sign of failure. It is a practical, dignified and powerful pathway from learning to earning, one that can help young people build confidence, support their families and contribute to Cambodia’s future.
Parents and guardians want their children to have stable jobs, good income and respect. TVET speaks directly about that dream because it gives young people hands-on skills in areas such as electricity, mechanics, construction, hospitality, digital services, agriculture and manufacturing, the skills that employers need and families can rely on.
UNESCO notes that TVET connects education with the world of work and equips youth with skills for decent work and sustainable societies. This matters because education should not only help students pass exams; it should also prepare them to solve real problems, earn a living and live with dignity.
Cambodia is also sending a clear message: skills create opportunities.
The 2026 National TVET Day was held under the theme “TVET Provides Skills, Jobs and Income”, highlighting TVET’s role in employment, productivity and inclusive economic growth.
Recent reporting also shows that Cambodia sees TVET as part of its strategy to build human capital and drive economic progress. This is not only a government message; it is a family message. When a young person gains a skill, that skill can become income, pride and security for the whole household.
For students, TVET can turn talent into confidence. If you enjoy fixing, building, designing, serving, farming, using technology or starting a business, technical skills can become your bridge to a real career.
A skill can help you earn income sooner, support your parents, pay for siblings’ education and build a better life. In many families, the first stable income from a son or daughter is not just money, it is hope. It can mean medicine for grandparents, school materials for younger children, less debt for parents and a stronger sense of pride around the dinner table.
For parents, supporting TVET does not mean lowering expectations. It means seeing success differently.
A skilled electrician, mechanic, chef, technician, digital worker or agro-processor is no less valuable than an office worker. Cambodia needs both knowledge and skills. The national Skills Development Roadmap emphasises lifelong skills, better jobs, dignity and improved living standards for citizens. A certificate on paper is important, but a skill in the hands, confidence in the mind and discipline in the heart can change a young person’s entire life.
One barrier that must be broken is the old idea that TVET is only for students who have no other option. This is unfair and outdated. A modern economy depends on people who can install, repair, operate, design, produce, serve, manage and innovate. A country cannot build safe homes, strong roads, modern farms, quality hotels, competitive factories or reliable digital services without skilled workers. TVET is therefore not a narrow pathway; it is a national foundation.
For Grade 12 students, the most important question is not only, “What will people think of me?” The better question is, “What path will help me become useful, independent, and proud?”
If you choose TVET, choose it with seriousness. Learn with discipline. Practice with patience. Ask questions. Seek internships. Build your portfolio. Respect your trainers.
Treat every tool, machine, customer and assignment as preparation for your future. A good skill, used with honesty and effort, can take you further than fear ever will.
TVET graduates can become heroes in quiet but powerful ways: by repairing machines, wiring homes safely, serving tourists professionally, improving farms, supporting factories, opening small businesses and creating jobs for others. They may not always appear on television or receive public awards, but their contribution is visible in everyday life.
They keep communities functioning, families earning and businesses growing. They help their families stand stronger and help Cambodia become more productive, competitive and self-reliant.
So, to Grade 12 students: choose the path that matches your strengths, not only the path others expect. To parents and guardians: give your children the courage to choose skills with pride. Encourage them to visit TVET institutions, ask about job links, learn about scholarships and understand which skills are in demand.
With one strong skill, a young person can lift a family. With many skilled young people, Cambodia can lift a nation. TVET is more than training; it is a pathway to dignity, income, service and hope.
Nayheak Khun is an undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training. The views and opinions expressed are his own.
-Phnom Penh Post-
