Dr. Ian Borg, Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds, together with Dr. Edward Woods, Chairman of the Malta Communications Authority (MCA) yesterday presented certificates to 44 participants who successfully completed training on the use of ICT in business.
The training was offered at no charge to Small and Medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and self employed. Over a period of two years, a total of 201 participants benefitted from this training that was organised by the MCA and was financed through the European Social Fund, to a total of €362,351.
In his address, Dr. Borg explained that this programme was not only limited to training but also included an initial study to determine skills shortages, the level of ICT adoption and the general aptitude of the Maltese entrepreneur towards technology. The results of this exercise were used to develop a bespoke curriculum that addresses the specific needs of SMEs, within a local context.
The Parliamentary Secretary stated that the Government intends to continue utilising European funds for initiatives aimed at helping more SMEs adopt ICTs in their business operations whilst strengthening their skills and competences in this regard.
He added that such EU funded programmes enable SMEs to better position their business activities, generate efficiency gains and increase competitiveness, thereby providing opportunities for such enterprises to tap into new markets.
Whilst congratulating the participants on their achievement, he augured that the time and effort put in this training will be translated into growth and success for their enterprises. Dr. Woods expressed satisfaction at the level of interest and involvement demonstrated by the participants.
He referred in particular to the high rates of attendance and the positive feedback provided by participants about the quality of the programme. He noted that figures from the intake that completed training in 2012 indicated that a minimum of 35% had already implemented an ICT based solution in their business.
The programme was spread over five months and involved 90 hours of training, which included interactive workshops, seminars, individual and group tutorials, as well as class-based, hands-on practice.
Various ICT and business related topics such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM), marketing, finance and technology management were covered and successful completion is recognised by the National Commission for Higher Education as an MQF level 3 certification in Information Systems for Small Businesses.