Promoting and Supporting Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and Job Creation

Promoting and Supporting Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and Job Creation

This section provides some details on how ICED is implementing its broader SMEs strategies and achieve the ultimate wider goals.  The SME development focuses on assisting agricultural value chain actors to improve their businesses and promoting the digitalisation of enterprises. The youth have affinity for technology and this opens up future opportunities for a digital revolution in SMEs spearheaded by the youth. ICED specially supports the empowerment of young SMEs entrepreneurs and inclusive green development approaches. However, promoting and sustaining the development of SMEs demands serious investment in the generation of knowledge through appropriate training and capacity building programmes. The SME development focuses on assisting agricultural value chain actors to improve their businesses and promoting the digitalisation of enterprises.

An important component of the SMEs programme is the promotion of sustainable trade and regional integration in Africa. The ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (ACFTA), which was expected to become operational in January 2021 is an opportunity for ICED to actively engage governments and relevant actors in African countries to build adequate capacity of enterprises to take advantage of the expanding regional economic space.  As part of its consultancy and advisory services delivery system to a potentially huge clientele, ICED will expand and strengthen its partnerships and networks to create a steady stream of technical support and expertise for actors involved in trade in Africa. The African Union continental Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Strategy is a vital vehicle ICED will use for promoting entrepreneurship and skills development and job creation in Ghana and other SSA countries.