In line with promoting access to and usage of the ASEAN Online SME Academy, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 2 recently conducted a training for trainers for the Negosyo Center Coordinators and Municipal Trade and Industry Officers on February 22-23, 2017 at the Villablanca Hotel, Ugac Norte, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

The two-day activity involved sharing of experiences of the participants on challenges encountered in extending the DTI Services to MSMEs, platform review of the ASEAN Academy features and experiencing the online learning in the academy, and shaping presentation skills by role playing the learned techniques from the course in the academy.

The trained participants are expected to provide further training to MSMEs within their own networks.

Mr. Singun said that the Academy will be of great help in the creation of a more conducive environment for MSME entrepreneurship.

The ASEAN Online SME Academy is a new online learning resource launched at the 6th Meeting of the SME Advisory Board in Singapore on 31 May 2016 which aims to help further grow the businesses of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in Southeast Asia.

The Online Academy offers courses and business information for MSMEs that is accessible through computers, smart phones, and tablets. Courses cover subjects on finance/accounting, management, marketing, operation, technology, trade/logistics.

The course materials were contributed by Baker & McKenzie, Facebook,Google, MasterCard, Microsoft PayPal, International Labour Organization, HP and Procter and Gamble.