SIM pursues regional training centre status |18 May 2005

The institute hopes to do so by seeking accreditation from reputable universities which would eventually offer certificates for the courses it runs.

SIM executive head Noellie Alexander said this on Tuesday, when she announced that Seychelles is about to launch a new human resource development policy.

“We consulted with the Commonwealth Secretariat last year to assess various regional training needs and ran a workshop that was conducted by international facilitators, as a result of which the existing policy was updated,” she said.

Ms Alexander however said that the institute needs to be improved before the universities are asked to offer their accreditation.

“Our library, for example, needs to be updated,” she said, adding that SIM is also working on its web site.

On Friday, Ms Alexander called on local businesses to take advantage of the courses her institute offers, saying they face many challenges today and therefore need to create and manage intangible assets such as customer relationships, employee skills and knowledge, information technology and a workplace place culture that encourages innovation and problem solving.

She was speaking to 80 Barclays Bank’s clients who attended a seminar on business planning conducted by two SIM lecturers at the International Conference Centre.

“SIM has the capacity to give local, regional and international businesses the necessary tools they need to succeed and we are abreast of new techniques and best practices that can assist organisations make a difference,” she said.

“SIM was established as an accountancy training centre 25 years ago, but today it is not only a knowledge provider. It also offers consultancy and research services,” she said.

She said that SIM operates as a fully autonomous institute with the mandate to develop leaders and managers.

“Our programmes are wide ranging from long term certificated ones like the advanced courses in marketing and management to short term ones in entrepreneurship training, offshore and international business management,” she said.