The Phnom Penh-based DragonFly E-Learning academy is rolling out training programmes to create professional gamers for the fast-growing play-to-earn business model.

The company is inviting young Cambodians to join its initial scholarship offering programme – where trainees are given practical and theory lessons on e-sports.

“We are offering opportunities to Cambodians to learn about the play-to-earn model that is becoming very popular. It is a booming industry in the Philippines and Thailand.

“Cambodia has the foundations of e-sports, and we think it is good time to introduce this model, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said DragonFly E-Learning’s academy director Rith Vannak.

Online play-to-earn gaming allows players to win money or digital assets.

DragonFly E-Learning says the academy, located at the Aquation Office Park on Koh Pich in the capital, provides professional training and career placements for Cambodia-based trainees who are enthusiastic about pursuing careers in the field of professional gaming and e-sports through the initial scholarship offering.

Vannak says DragonFly focuses on selecting and nurturing talent for the professional play-to-earn gaming industry, as well as providing them with a clear, concise and comprehensive career progression path.

“We are excited to launch this academy in Cambodia and bring employment opportunities to communities in the Kingdom.

“With a young generation who are tech savvy, Cambodia has the potential to grow its e-sport scene.

“This is an opportunity for new recruits to the gaming and e-sports industry to get in on the entry level, receive hands-on training and placements into well-paid jobs which allow them to play and earn at the same time,” he said.

DragonFly says its initial scholarship offering works closely with private institutional partners within the gaming community to fund as well as provide professional training and career opportunities for its trainees.

The DragonFly E-Learning training team, comprising professional gamers and e-sports players, relies on a comprehensive curriculum to guide participants through a step-by-step training process.

This is designed to take them from beginners with little-to-no gaming skills to experienced gamers who are sought after by the gaming community.

With an estimated more than two million gamers in the Kingdom, e-sports – a multibillion-dollar industry, according to experts – is one way to help further develop the Cambodian economy.

And the number of gamers is likely to grow further as more opportunities open up in the sector.

DragonFly E-Learning’s academy in Cambodia is the very first centre established by the institution, and it expects to recruit and train 100,000 people by the end of 2022.

The number of trainees is set to see further growth with expansion in the number of training facilities established by DragonFly E-Learning across other Southeast Asian countries in the short term.

“As the gaming industry continues to flourish and people are rethinking their careers, DragonFly E-Learning academy – through its initial scholarship offering programme – has taken an inventive approach in creating the skilled gamers needed in the gaming industry,” said Vannak.