As Cambodia confronts the economic consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic, ISF’s employment support is more crucial than ever. Our most recent community survey told a very troubling story: over 90% of respondents have lost their job or over half their income during the crisis. To adapt to the global situation, we are working with Linklaters Honk Kong Office to offer streaming technology and distance mentoring to make sure our participants stay engaged and continue to receive aid in a new employment landscape.

Career Counseling from Established Professionals

Since 2019, we have been working with Linklaters to provide mentorship and career counseling to 17 of the 69 youth currently enrolled in our Employment Programme. Linklaters is a leading global law firm, supporting and investing in the future of their clients wherever they do business. As part of their Collective Responsibility strategy, they use pro bono and community investment activities to make an impact on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The seventeen young people enrolled in career counseling receive guidance once every two months through this partnership. In these sessions, a member of Linklaters’ staff shares industry knowledge in order to help them reach their goals. This is done via video streaming in meetings at ISF that take into account the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for physical distancing. On meeting days, a limited group of students assemble in our Steung Meanchey computer lab to take part in the interactive sessions.

Khmer-English translators are on hand to make sure counseling goes smoothly

Our most recent meeting featured Olivia Ngan, a solicitor at Linklaters. She shared personal stories of her own education and work history as an immigrant from Hong Kong to Australia. Now an expert in finance law, she also answered students’ questions about lending and debt collection. 19-year-old high school senior Nat Sinoeurn was in attendance and came away impressed. She said, “It was a very interesting session. I feel like we all can learn a lot when successful people like Olivia share their experience with us.” For those students who could not attend, we make recordings of these sessions available online afterwards to maximise accessibility.

Online Access Allows for Personalised Mentorship

Linklaters also generously provide one-on-one mentoring sessions to seven youth who have enrolled to receive it. Staff across a variety of the legal firm’s departments spend thirty minutes discussing our employment programme participants challenges. Topics range from the difficulty of juggling school and a career to skills requirements for architects. Panha, who receives regular mentoring focused on applying to international universities, has benefitted from them. “What they’ve shared is very useful for me. Now that I have the scholarship information, I’m inspired to work harder at school. Sooner or later, I’ll get it” he asserts. Read more about Panha’s mentoring experience here.

Offering Aid to Students’ Families

The parents and extended family of students in our programme can also take advantage of aid from ISF’s Employment Team. Of the 23 parents who have sought our help, 12 are now employed full time and the remaining 11 receive career counseling from our staff. To support their job search, we also help prepare CVs, arrange interviews, and search for positions compatible with their skill sets. Many are underemployed or have family commitments that preclude them from full-time positions or those that demand travel, so we tailor our support to the individual. We know that aid to them and their children is even more necessary in these difficult times.