At Chomno Coffee, everyday cafe work becomes a pathway to employment skills
The Phnom Penh riverside cafe gives young people hands-on experience in customer service, coffee preparation, money handling and the responsibilities of a workplace.
Serving a customer, preparing a coffee and keeping track of stock are part of daily life at Chomno Coffee. They are also part of how the Phnom Penh business helps young people develop practical skills and confidence for work.
The riverside cafe provides hands-on vocational training for young people referred through a partner organisation. Trainees learn through the responsibilities of a working cafe, rather than through classroom instruction alone.
Learning through real responsibilities
The experience covers customer service and coffee preparation as well as handling money, managing inventory and carrying out the everyday tasks of running a business. That range exposes trainees to both the public-facing and operational sides of hospitality.
Chomno's aim extends beyond preparing someone for a cafe role. It wants trainees to develop transferable skills, gain confidence and build experience that can support their next steps towards sustainable employment.
The model makes the workplace itself part of the learning process. Customer interactions and routine business responsibilities provide a practical setting in which young people can develop familiarity with working life.
For CanCham's member community, Chomno offers a concrete example of how a hospitality business can combine its day-to-day operations with vocational learning. The emphasis is on experience and preparation, giving trainees a foundation from which to pursue future opportunities.