Entrepreneurs and aspiring ones acquire skills in MSME course |25 August 2016

A first batch from a group of 500 entrepreneurs from the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are acquiring knowledge and skills on various aspects of entrepreneurship initiatives.

They are doing so in a three-day course which was officially opened yesterday at the University of Seychelles Guy Morel Institute at Ma Joie.

The training session, which is part of the Seychelles’ MSME Development Project, is being supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) through the fund for African Private Sector Assistance (FAPA) which has also funded a consultant/facilitator for the training, Audrey Kawuki.

It is being conducted by the Small Enterprise Promotion Agency (Senpa) in collaboration with the University of Seychelles (UniSey) and the Ministry of Investment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation (MIEDBI). The Seychelles MSME Development Project aims at enhancing the growth of Seychelles MSMEs in order to promote inclusive growth through addressing access to finance and entrepreneurial skills, two main constraints to MSME development in Seychelles.

There are seventeen short courses and a training of trainer session where Ms Kawuki will train the trainers to make sure they are capable to take on the task afterwards.

When the trainers are ready, an aggressive marketing will be undertaken in September as the institute wants to make maximum use of the fund and in the end train the 500 people as earmarked under the fund.

The course will begin again in October until February 2017 where 30 people per session are being targeted.

FAPA is a multi-donor thematic trust fund that provides grant funding for technical assistance and capacity building to support implementation of the Bank’s Private Sector Development Strategy. Its portfolio includes regional and national projects aimed at improving the business environment, strengthening financial systems, building private sector infrastructure, promoting trade and development of micro, small and medium enterprises.

“At the end of the course the delegates will do an assessment. As this course is entrepreneurship planning, the assessment will consist of them producing a business plan. Those who are successful will receive a certificate of achievement,” said Shella Mohideen, Dean of the Guy Morel Institute.

Those attending the training are a mixture of people who are already in business and those who just have a business idea and wants to turn this idea into a business.

“We have also invited those already in business because there are some who ventured into a business which is not necessarily the right business,” said Mrs Mohideen, giving an example of people who do not want to work at night but want to open a restaurant. She advised them to do a business that suits their personality.

Brian Nicette from the MIEDBI urged all those taking part to make full use of the training to achieve the country’s aim of building an entrepreneurial culture.