Assignment description
Information contained in this Assignment Description is subject to change, as host organisations’ needs evolve.
Australian Red Cross will work closely with host organisations and volunteers to ensure that key outcomes of roles
are updated as regularly as possible.
1. General details
Position title
Vocational Business English Trainer
Advertising title
Name of host organisation
Pour Un Sourire d’Enfant (PSE)
Country
Cambodia
Location
Phnom Penh
Duration
12 months with possible extension
Proposed start date
April 2013
Assignment code
KH37
2. Overview of program
Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) is an Australian Government, AusAID initiative to
send volunteers overseas. The program is delivered by Australian Red Cross and other agencies.
Volunteer assignments are designed to enhance capacity within overseas host organisations. They are aligned
with the aid priorities of the Australian Government and its partner governments in developing countries, as
well as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
The AVID program covers volunteers’ airfares, accommodation, living allowances, training, insurance, health
and security.
3. Overview of organisation & assignment
Pour un Sourire d’ Enfant (PSE) is a French non-profit organisation established in 1995 working to provide food,
shelter, medical care, general education and vocational training to destitute, maltreated, abused and
uneducated children in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and Siem Reap.
PSE focuses on integrating its operations with the action plans of the country where it works and on
developing its projects in close cooperation with the local administrations.
Currently PSE is providing help to more than 6,500 children, supporting around 3,000 children in public
schools, 1,500 in remedial education and 1,500 in vocational training. Around 500 children benefit from
specific educational programs: classes for children with a disability, day-care centres, infant welfare etc.
PSE areas of focus are:
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Nutrition
Prevention and treatment
AVID volunteer assignment description form – Sep 2012
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Protection and sheltering
Schooling
PSE Institute (vocational training and higher education)
Community development
Currently, PSE has one main office in Phnom Penh, located in Steung Mean Chey, one centre in Siem Reap and
one centre in Sihanoukville. The headquarters of PSE is based in Paris, France. In total, PSE employs 690
Cambodian nationals as staff. Additionally, there are around 15 foreign volunteers.
For more information on PSE programs please visit: http://www.pse.asso.fr/
Overview of the program
The PSE Institute was established in 2002 to provide underprivileged students with highly qualified vocational
and technical training in order to find employment and meet the needs of the job market.
At first, the institute enrolled 150 students and trained them in administration, hairdressing and hospitality.
Over the years, the PSE Institute has expanded the range of its training courses and currently there are 1,500
students enrolled in eight professional schools. In total, there are 30 courses in the following categories: hotel
and catering, business professions, customer service, technical professions and audio-visual production. Since
March 2011, PSE Institute has been registered with the Royal Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and is
now able to provide state certificates to its students.
For students who have reached a higher level of general education, PSE Business School has created high
quality training for Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) and Technical High School (TH). Currently, there
are 179 students enrolled in the business school. As of 2012, 300 students have successfully graduated from its
business school programs and 91% of them have a job with an average entry-level salary of $150 for TH
students and $200 for BBA students.
For future years, statistics show an increasing trend in the number of PSE students reaching level 12 (up to 150
students in 2014 and even higher in the following year) and therefore eligible to enter the business school. In
light of this growth, the strategy of the PSE Institute is to increase the number of enrolments (a total of 570
students for the academic year 2014-2015) and at the same time, develop the employability of students,
enhancing their capacity to integrate themselves in the job market.
In order to achieve this, PSE is requesting long-term AVID-ARC volunteer support. For 2012/13 and possibly for
2014, PSE would like to host an AVID-ARC Vocational Business School Trainer to strengthen the abilities of
PSE’s national instructors and oversee the quality of the pedagogy and program.
Overview of the AVID assignment
The volunteer will work closely with the PSE Business School and the English department on the development
and design of a curriculum for business English and to strengthen the English skills of teachers at the business
school. The incumbent will also be asked to set up weekly training for English teachers, collect data on the
business school and the English department, and design a curriculum for English programming in the business
school.
4. Expected outputs and key relationships
The key expected outputs of this assignment are:
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Development of four major curricula in business English for business school in accounting, retail sales,
sales, management and administration
Production of four teachers books and four students books (one for each major curricula developed)
Developed efficient methodology for coaching team leaders
Production of regular reports to better assess progress of the business school and language program
Established monitoring procedures
Volunteer’s supervisor
AVID volunteer assignment description form – Sep 2012
Technical advisor
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Counterpart / other staff
Team leader
5. Volunteer requirements
Essential: Personal attributes
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Essential: Skills or experience relevant
to assignment
Qualifications
Language skills and level required
Desirable: Further attributes,
experience, skills or qualifications
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Self awareness and cross-cultural sensitivity
Commitment to sharing knowledge and skills
Flexibility and adaptability
Resilience and ability to manage stress
Committed to serving the best interests of the child
Good interpersonal skills
Aligned with PSE vision and respectful of PSE policies and
regulations
Demonstrated experience in curriculum development in a
vocational school or academic setting
Demonstrated experience as a business English teacher and a
working background within a business setting
Proven experience conducting training and program
development (ESL)
Experience in networking and establishing external relationships
Studies in training English teaching or business or relevant field
Basic Khmer would be welcome
Competence in French is an advantage
Experience working with underprivileged children
6. Location and facilities
The volunteer will be based in the head office in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. The location of the
head office is in Steung Mean Chey, about 20 minutes by car from the city centre. Phnom Penh is a small but
growing urban city; it has a pleasant living environment and offers a good range of services, which include
electricity, phone, internet, shops, banking, medical, recreation and entertainment.
The volunteer will be provided with a workstation including a desk, computer, networked printer and internet
access. A shared office phone is available however is strictly for work related use. Staff and volunteers are
expected to utilise their own phone for any personal matters.
Travel to and from work each day will be by tuk tuk, bicycle, on foot or by motorbike taxi, which are the most
common means of transport around Phnom Penh. Volunteers must wear a motorbike helmet if using
motorbikes for transport.
7. Assignment support
All AVID volunteers are provided with the following:
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Return airfares to country of assignment
Fortnightly living allowance (based on cost of living, adjusted for urban and rural areas)
Accommodation allowance
Pre-departure training and in-country orientation (including language training where necessary)
Travel and life insurance
Health and security support (including 24-hour emergency contact)
In-country contact point
For more information visit www.redcross.org.au/support-and-preparation.aspx
Other support mechanisms
AVID volunteer assignment description form – Sep 2012
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Comprehensive pre-departure briefing and in-country orientation will be provided with input from the
ARC country manager and PSE Language School manager and technical advisor
Quarterly review with ARC in-country manager and PSE Language School manager technical advisor
Scheduled feedback to and from PSE Language School manager and technical advisor
Volunteer produces a regular report for PSE Language School manager and technical advisor Volunteer
will join regular staff meeting/events
Volunteer will receive supervision and support from PSE Language School manager, technical advisor
and other staff members
8. Local culture and language
Cambodia is a mainly Buddhist society and religious ceremonies are frequent. Young people should respect
elderly people. Please respect the courtesies and customs in and around temples and religious sites. Please
note that Cambodians consider the head an important part of the body. Usually, other peoples’ head can’t be
touched by other persons except by close family members; long time friends or by an elder to a young child.
The capital Phnom Penh is rapidly ‘westernising’ as are many of the larger towns, however rural areas remain
very traditional. There is significant urban drift and large differences in economic situation from rural to urban
environments. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to undertake individual research about Cambodia and its
history and culture before arrival.
Main language(s) spoken in the community
Main language(s) spoken in the workplace
Khmer - national language of Cambodia
Khmer, English and French
9. Health and safety
Many developing country contexts are challenging. You will face different, usually higher, physical and mental
health risks than at home. As an Australian Volunteer for International Development, you will be required to
have a good level of fitness, health and resilience.
You may be required to live and work in basic facilities and use local public transport. You may not be able to
access the range or high quality of health services and facilities you are used to, and may not have ready access
to a tertiary hospital, specialist doctors, or reliable supplies of your usual medication.
If you have a pre-existing health condition which requires on-going treatment and regular medical checks,
especially if it involves a risk of a medical emergency, consider carefully whether this type of work is
appropriate for you. Seek early advice from your own treating doctor, ensure your condition is optimally
controlled, and update your health management plan with your doctor prior to starting the Australian Red
Cross Health clearance process. For many pre-existing conditions, we will require a detailed medical report
from your treating doctor. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
For further information refer to www.smarttraveller.gov.au.
10. Child protection
Australian Red Cross is a child-safe organisation and is committed to the prevention of abuse and neglect of
children and young people. As part of the recruitment process, all candidates will be screened and assessed for
suitability to work with children.
Volunteers must make themselves aware of Section 6.9 of the AVID Code of Conduct and associated policies
and documents.
AVID volunteer assignment description form – Sep 2012
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