The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training will celebrate International Youth Day 2022 on August 6 through a cycling event intended to show solidarity and support for inclusivity and improved work opportunities for people with disabilities.

In a July 26 announcement, it said the day’s event will be co-organised with the Decent Employment for Youth (DEY II) programme run by the ministry and the UN in Cambodia, noting that the event will start out in front of Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre in Phnom Penh at 5am.

“We will hold this event on Saturday, August 6, to mark International Youth Day 2022 and stimulate the interest and the attention of the main stakeholders such as government and policy-makers, the private sector, development partners and national and international donors in supporting, coordinating and creating decent and inclusive jobs for disabled youth,” said the ministry.

Participants, it noted, should bring their bicycles. The planned cycling routes are 1km, 20km and 35km in length, with the 1km route included for those who wish to show their support for the cause but are unable to ride longer distances.

Thorng Samon, deputy head of the ministry’s General Department of Vocational Training, said on July 27 that this is the first event that the ministry has ever held in celebration of International Youth Day.

He added that there is room for up to 300 cyclists to participate. Each of them must pay a $5 fee to join the event and will get a T-shirt that commemorates the occasion. The proceeds will go to a programme that helps people with disabilities learn vocational skills.

Samon called on the public, especially youths, to come out for the event.

“This cycling event is a new idea that we hope will attract youths and all Cambodian people who like to cycle. We’ve never done something like this before and we’re hopeful that many people will want to participate,” he said.