Despite its growing importance as sourcing destination, finding workers with the right skills sets for RMG units was a big challenge. Now Cambodia’s first garments manufacturing training institute, the Cambodian Garment Training Institute, will open doors educating students in apparel design, development, management, merchandising and industry engineering.
Over 160 workers from 14 factories across the country will begin classes being organised by the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC), the apex trade body that represents the garment and footwear industries. GMAC aims to be part of the solution to bridge the skills gap that exists in one of Cambodia’s most important industries and will strive to train workers and help fill middle management job vacancies.
GMAC will offer three different diploma programs of three months duration and further, a selection of 27 short courses of three to five days each. However, factories seem reluctant to send their staff to study for the diploma courses because they find the period of absence too long. Most of those attending the initial courses will have their tuition covered by their factories, he added.
GMAC will also offer a ‘Train and Place’ program for high school, university students and current garment workers where post training they can expect to get a job in a factory as a management trainee. The program requires a $800 deposit, but students will receive a minimum salary of $250 as trainees and can expect to make up to $450 per month for similar positions once they graduate after about a year.
