Japanese giant Toyota has announced the launch of an automotive training school in Cambodia. Prime Minister Hun Manet urged the company to consider broadening the scope of training for Cambodian youth to address the demands of the automotive manufacturing job market, both locally and globally. Ryoji Fujita, managing director of Toyota Tsusho Manufacturing Cambodia, revealed this initiative during a meeting with Manet in Phnom Penh.
In early May, the prime minister inaugurated a Toyota assembly plant in the Royal Group Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone, with an investment capital of $37 million. “Fujita announced the initiative to establish the training school was based on recommendations made by Manet during the inauguration ceremony”, said a press release issued by the Royal Government Spokesperson Unit. During the meeting, Fujita asked Manet for advice on establishing the new training facility. “Manet expressed his support for the company’s initiative and encouraged them to work closely with the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training to discuss details on establishing the school and defining a business model”, said the release.
Manet proposed two options: the company could either establish the facility independently or create it as a hybrid collaboration with the existing government training institution, in cooperation with the labour ministry. He encouraged the company to consider broadening the training scope for young Cambodians, not only to develop human resources for Toyota but also to address the needs of other job markets, both domestic and international, in the future.
The Prime Minister also urged the company to explore the feasibility of supplying spare parts to Toyota not only within Cambodia but also to other countries. Additionally, he recommended collaborating with local companies that can provide accessories for Toyota. Socio-economic analyst Chey Tech described this initiative as a step toward transferring modern technology in vehicle production and assembly to the Cambodian workforce. He noted that it would create numerous jobs for Cambodians, particularly in higher-paying skilled positions, compared to the current unskilled, low-wage jobs in the garment and footwear sectors.
“It will also contribute to attracting investment because it will create a skilled Cambodian workforce. This will encourage more companies to invest in Cambodia, so I expect foreign direct investment (FDI) to increase”, he said. “Through this initiative, people will have more jobs and wages will be higher. It will also contribute to increasing Cambodia’s exports to regional and other international markets”, he added.
Tech believed that the new training facility would help to realize the government’s vision of transforming Cambodia into a hub for assembling and manufacturing vehicles for domestic use and export. “It will contribute to the government’s goal of providing vocational training to 1.5 million young people from poor and vulnerable families by 2028, as well as developing the Cambodian economy through job growth, attracting FDI and increasing exports”, he said.
