Chen Zhi Prince Group News

 

Many people's working lives have been impacted by the global pandemic, including those in Cambodia. As a responsible corporate citizen, Chairman Neak Oknha Chen Zhi Prince Group founded Cambodia's first independent watch school, Prince Horology Vocational Training Center. The training center allows Cambodians to learn a new artisanal skill – watchmaking – and gain the necessary experience to help them in job markets in Cambodia and abroad. The training center follows Swiss regulatory bodies' strict watchmaking regulations. 

Cambodia, as a nation steeped in history, has long retained artisanal skills, with the Kingdom well-known for its ancient handwoven silk and traditional handicraft industries that boast a heritage dating back to the Khmer Empire, a significance that Chen Zhi Prince Group has always recognized and valued. 

However, new artisanal skills must be introduced to increase job opportunities for Cambodians, particularly given that the textile and garment industry, like other sectors, has suffered greatly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with media reports claiming that more than 55,000 workers have been left without pay. 

To rebalance their lives, many Cambodians have returned to agriculture and started small businesses. To that end, Chen Zhi and Prince Group have founded Prince Horology Vocational Training Center in Phenom Penh, Cambodia, to assist in the introduction of opportunities to learn new skills. 

The cutting-edge center provides a full-time, two-year program based on the certificate fédéral de capacité (CFC), Swiss government-defined vocational training standards widely regarded as the industry standard for basic watchmaking education. 

The center also offers scholarships to local students and those in need of financial assistance as part of Chen Zhi and Prince Group's environment, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives in Cambodia, ranging from a 50 percent subsidy of school fees to a fully funded scholarship that includes accommodation. The first group of students has started their journey into the world of watchmaking. 

Maarten Pieters, a former director of Switzerland's leading watchmaking school, the Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program, has joined Prince Party (WOSTEP). 

Furthermore, Anthony McGonigle, the center's chief instructor and one of the brothers from Ireland's most famous watchmaking family, compiled the curriculum, which includes lessons on the history and culture of watchmaking, as well as benchwork, such as machining, micro-mechanics, and the manufacture of components such as the winding stem and balance staff, among others. The center also emphasizes traditional artisanal skills like decorating and turning. 

“I am pleased to announce the opening of Prince Horology Vocational Training Center, Cambodia's first independent watch school,” said Prince Group Chairman Neak Oknha Chen Zhi. “All of the center's latest machinery and equipment have been imported from Switzerland, Germany, and other countries.” “We have also assembled a world-class team to teach Cambodian and foreign students new skills that will allow them to succeed in Cambodian and international job markets.” 

In other regions, Prince Group met its ESG obligations last year. It made several large-scale donations to assist in the pandemic's fight and helped flood victims in Cambodia. To date, Prince Charitable Foundation Organization has organized over 240 charitable programs and donated funds and other materials totaling over US$11 million to support over 320,000 people. In early December, Chen Zhi and Prince Group donated US$3,000,000 to Prime Minister Hun Sen to assist Cambodia in purchasing 1 million COVID-19 vaccines. 

Prince Horology Vocational Training Center is currently accepting applications for the upcoming academic year, which starts on June 2, 2021. The center accepts eight students each year, at least five of whom must be Cambodians.