Women who dream of becoming entrepreneurs and running their own businesses can benefit from a new source of help, with the launch of a new training course developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) next week.

The course, “GET Ahead for women in enterprise” is specially designed for women – particularly those with low incomes - who want to start, or already run a small-scale business.  Many of these women work in the informal economy – running food stalls or small shops - and don’t need high-tech business courses. But with better management, negotiating and networking skills they can transform a subsistence-level operation into a productive and profitable business.

The new course will be launched by the ILO and the Ministry of Labour at a ceremony at the Suan Dusit Palace in Bangkok on June 6^th.

To mark the launch the ILO will also run the first GET Ahead training course in Thailand , from June 6-10th. 10 entrepreneurs and 15 trainers from the public sector and civil society will participate in this course. The five-day course will create a core group of trainers who can teach the GET Ahead course to women entrepreneurs throughout Thailand .

The group will consist mainly (but not solely) of women and will include people involved in rebuilding livelihoods in the tsunami-affected provinces.

“Women in Thailand are natural entrepreneurs and this course will help them make the most of those talents,” said Linda Deelen, GET Ahead Principal Trainer. “It’s specially designed to strengthen women’s business and people management skills, to show them how to develop their personal entrepreneurial traits, build their confidence and find support from groups, networks and other institutions dealing with enterprise development”. 

The GET Ahead training course is part of the ILO’s work on the informal economy, poverty and employment in Thailand . The aim is to promote decent work in the informal economy sector, for both workers and employers.

The web version of the course can be downloaded at:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/region/asro/bangkok/library/pub4.htm

The press are welcome to attend the opening ceremony on June 6^th at 8.30am , at the Suan Dusit Palace , Rajapat Suan Dusit, Rachasima Road , Bangkok .

For more information please contact:

Ms. Rakawin Leechanavanichpan                         
Informal Economy Project                                        
ILO Subregional Office for East Asia                     
T: 02-288 2629 or 01-6823839 (mobile)                
E-mail:  rakawin@ilo.org                                                 

Ms. Linda Deelen
Principal Trainer
 ILO Subregional Office for East Asia
T: 02-2881786 or 01-4920285 (mobile)
E-mail: deelen@ilo.org

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