Supported by the ETF, the training programme follows an expression of interest by the Montenegrin employers’ body to determine how the e-skills recommendations of the European Small Business Act could be brought forward as the country builds momentum in its bid to join the EU. At a meeting with the Montenegrin Employers Federation in Podgorica on 23 February, Anthony Gribben, who leads on entrepreneurship developments at the ETF, and Evgenia Petkova, the ETF’s Country Manager for Montenegro, finalised the last details for the training programme which was launched on 1 March to coincide with the EU’s Read More">e-skills week.

Six companies stand to benefit from the project whose objective goes wider than the training delivery itself. ‘We are working with the Montenegrin Employers Federation to determine how receptive the small business community is to EU recommendations for improved manpower in the small business environment and particularly the role and contribution that employers organisations can have in getting their members to take e-skills development more seriously’, says Anthony Gribben.

The small companies from such wide-ranging sectors such as horticulture, pharmaceuticals and the aerospace industry have signed up their staff to the nine-module training programme which includes after-hours and weekend training in areas such as internet marketing, e-invoicing and e-payments and the essentials of legal aspects of e-business.

Read More" alt="" width="150" height="98" align="right" />‘We see this ‘netrepreneurship’ project as an important opportunity to determine, not only how the participating companies can develop the e-commerce skills but to raise awareness amongst the broader business environment in Montenegro as to the importance of promoting e-skills which is a ‘must’ for business development,’ says Vladimir Curovic, Secretary General of the Montenegro Employers Federation. ‘New business paradigms require a new skill set,’ he argues.

‘This project is the result of in-depth dialogue with a group of pilot enterprises and it is no great surprise that the outcome of the training needs analysis is a consensus on e-skills’ says Evgenia Petkova. ‘Ambitious businesses cannot ignore the opportunities which e-commerce can bring. And skilling up for the e-challenge is a crucial first step,’ she says

Source; Europa