Demand for entrepreneurship training on the rise

In an effort to improve the quality of entrepreneurship trainers in the Pacific, the ILO conducted a Training of Master Trainers on Start & Improve Your Business (SIYB) in Port Vila, Vanuatu

News | 12 November 2017
Participants in Port Vila, Vanuatu
VANUATU (ILO News) - A training of master trainers on Start & Improve Your Business (SIYB) commenced at the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VCCI) on 6th November 2017. The training is technically supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and organized in partnership with the VCCI.

Ten SIYB certified trainers from six Pacific Island Countries will undergo an intensive 10 day training and post certification process. The President of the VCCI, Mr Thomas Bayer in opening the training welcomed the regional participants and reminded them that they were part of the largest global business training programme in the world.

Ms Ferite Osa Tone, from the Small Business Enterprise Center (SBEC) in Samoa said that she expected to gain and absorb new ideas, skills and knowledge to improve her capacity in delivering entrepreneurship training. “The closure of the largest private employer in Samoa, Yazaki, has caused an increase in the demand for training, this year. SBEC is at the front of supporting redundant workers to transit into self-employment. What I gain from this training will allow me to support my organization and country better."

The Pacific has only one SIYB Master Trainer, Mr Peter Piawu, who is based in Papua New Guinea. He is supporting the SIYB International Master Trainer, Gemunu Wijesena from the Sri Lanka Master Trainers Association. “It has taken some time to plan and organize this training and we are very pleased that at the end of the process, we will increase the number of master trainers in the pacific,” said Mr Satoshi Sasaki, the Officer-in-Charge of the ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries. He said this will further strengthen the SIYB value chain and have better outcomes at the country level.

The VCCI has a dedicated training section and offers the SIYB training to members and youths. One of the trainees aiming to be certified as a Master Trainer is Mr Kalwajin Skepha who received his SIYB trainer certification in 2015. “There are new techniques of delivering training so it is more interesting and relevant to my target audience, is what I hope to gain from this training”, at the end of the day, I want to contribute to the development of MSME’s in Vanuatu, said Mr Skepha.

In Solomon Islands, the SIYB programme is delivered by Youth at Work and Solomon Islands Women in Business Association (SIWIBA). In Fiji, the training is delivered by the Corporative Department and Integrated Human Resource Development Programme (IHRDP). In Papua New Guinea the training is delivered by Small & Medium Enterprise Corporation (SMEC).

In Kiribati, it is offered by the Kiribati Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI). However, individual trainers, are also trained and certified in various countries to deliver this training.

Over the years, Vanuatu has used the SIYB to expand its Business Development Services (BDS) to persons with disabilities in Santo and conducted a TNA to tailor a package for Island Based Contractors (IBC) in Tanna.

This training concluded on 17th November 2017, however, the certification process can last up to a year, depending on the progress made on each of the trainees against post training objectives.