The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) has commenced training for selected Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) under the COVID-19 SME Innovation and Digitalisation Support Scheme.
The Scheme is expected to provide a total of 500 SMEs with digital solutions to help them adapt to emerging market demands occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, ensure business continuity and improve the efficiency of their operations.
It is backed by Invest for Jobs of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and others.
A statement issued by the NBSSI on Saturday said under the training which was rolled out on Friday in Accra the selected SMEs across the country would receive training in digital literacy and skills to facilitate their operations.
It said participating SMEs would also be introduced to an ‘SME Portal’ – a web platform which provides access to valuable information and insights for SMEs while 400 selected SMEs would receive training in the use of social media tools and the management of social media accounts.
In addition, it said, they would also be supported to set up their own company websites as well as their profiles on relevant social media platforms to enhance the presence and visibility of the businesses online.
“The project will also establish a Learning Management System which will host content on various training tools developed in Ghana and elsewhere. SMEs will have access to the platform to ensure continuous learning even after the training programme,” it said.
To further help digitalise their businesses, the statement said, some selected SMEs would also get access to various digital tools and applications including enterprise resource planning tools, customer relationship management software, inventory management, and accounts/ financial management tools, among others.
According to the statement, the Executive Director of the NBSSI, Mrs Kosi Yankey- Ayeh, in her opening remarks at the training said digitalisation of SME operations would help them lead the country’s economic recovery efforts.
“The project provides access to knowledge, technologies, and expertise in the field of digitalisation and process innovation. We are optimistic that at the end of these trainings, participating SMEs will increase their process efficiency and competitiveness even as Ghana commences the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)”, she said.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR
