PASSERELLES NUMERIQUES
Phnom-Penh, Cambodia
DESCRIPTION
FIGHTING POVERTY VIA PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
This project finances two years of school for 10 students in Cambodia.
Passerelles Numériques (PN) enables very vulnerable youth to access education and technical/professional training in the digital sector, based on their natural abilities and commitment.
PN aims to build the employability of these young people, which will allow them and their families to get out of poverty in a sustainable manner, and more broadly to help the socio-economic development of Cambodia.
IMPACT / MAIN INDICATORS
PNC graduates achieve a 93% employment success rate, with 92% finding a job within three months of graduation. The average entry-level monthly salary for graduates is 305 USD, compared with a family income of approximately 48 USD per capita before joining PNC. Since 2005, PNC has supported 1,768 graduates, 98% of whom work in the IT sector. In addition, 52% of current students are young women, in line with PN’s active commitment to gender inclusion.
Objectives:
• Strong employment outcomes: 93% of graduates secure employment in the IT sector within three months of graduation.
• Gender parity and beyond: 52% of current students are young women, reflecting PN’s deliberate focus on reducing the gender gap in the digital sector.
• Significant salary uplift: graduates earn an average of 305 USD per month, compared with a per capita family income of 48 USD before joining PNC.
• Long-term economic impact: since 2005, nearly 6,000 people (students and their families) have seen their lives transformed through PNC’s IT education.
• Community contribution: alumni actively mentor current students and contribute to PN’s broader ecosystem through the PNC Alumni Association
LOCAL
PARTNER
Passerelles Numériques Cambodge
Selection
Duration
Project selected in September 2018
Multi-year project: 8 years
Financed
by
The Comgest Foundation
COMMENT FROM THE AMBASSADOR
CLément prêcheur
In Cambodia, financial barriers remain a significant obstacle preventing high school graduates from pursuing higher education. With more than 14% of the working population living on less than $1.90 per day, many young Cambodians are compelled to abandon their studies and seek employment in neighbouring countries under difficult conditions, often to support their families back home.
Cambodia’s demographic landscape reinforces this challenge: 77% of the population lives in rural areas and 49% is under the age of 25. Secondary education typically involves tuition fees, placing it beyond the reach of disadvantaged youth, particularly those from rural communities.
Passerelles Numériques (PN) addresses these structural barriers by disrupting the cycle of poverty faced by underserved youth. PN provides targeted digital training, equipping young people with both the technical skills and professional competencies required by the IT industry. Operating in Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Madagascar, PN specifically supports young people who lack access to formal education. Particular emphasis is placed on young women, who represent more than 52% of current students, as part of a deliberate effort to reduce the gender gap in the digital sector.
The Comgest Foundation has been a proud supporter of this initiative, contributing to the education costs of Cambodian students and helping to sustain a programme that consistently delivers measurable and lasting impact.