Belize strengthening MSME development through ILO GET Ahead Programme
To date, trainers have reached approximately 220 persons who have gained the skills they need to start and operate their own businesses.
22 November 2023
Gender and Entrepreneurship Together (GET Ahead), a gender-sensitive entrepreneurship training programme developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) continues to improve the micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) landscape in Belize.
Initially rolled out on 03 July 2023 as part of the Joint Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Fund Resilient Belize Project, GET Ahead is proving to be instrumental for fostering economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction.
Designed for women and men with basic numeracy or literacy skills, the inclusive programme started with the training of 21 trainers who are now well equipped to replicate and transfer knowledge and skills. As a result, the GET Ahead trainers are building the capacity of women, men, and youth who seek to learn the business management and essential soft skills they need to embark on their own entrepreneurial journey.
GET Ahead is also designed with a multiplier strategy. To date, the trainers have developed the skills of approximately 220 persons in Belize of which more than 85 per cent are women, 40 per cent are youth, 13.7 per cent are migrants, 1 per cent are refugees, and 5 per cent are persons with disabilities.
The trainers who benefited participants across the country in 10 different locations, are Gabrielle Hulse, Tremmet Perriot, Marceli Richards, Owen Leiva, Tasha Almendarez, Marty Lopez, Zain Hernandez, Nikolai Pulido, Maria Yam, Sandra Medina, Lianne Torres, and Maria Vega. Additional teams are expected to start their training in 2024.
The development of MSMEs has long been a priority of the ILO. Through work with governments, employers’, and workers’ organizations, the specialized United Nations agency seeks to unlock the full potential of MSMEs in achieving a human-centred, green and inclusive growth.
“MSMEs are key to achieving productive employment and decent work. They account for approximately two-thirds of all jobs in Belize and are key drivers in creating many new opportunities,” explained Mrs. Pamela Bradley, ILO National Project Coordinator in Belize.
By using the multiplier strategy and building the capacity of local actors, the ILO is promoting the sustainability of an international network of lead trainers by preparing them to become certified in the GET Ahead methodology so they can become independent trainers or training officers of service providers.
“It is important for any economy to be built on strong foundation which is formed from MSMEs. To build this strong foundation, we need a level playing field and that is ensuring that women and men have the same opportunities to create and sustain sustainable enterprises. GET Ahead is a powerful ILO tool that addresses both the business skills needed to be successful and the additional barriers that many women entrepreneurs face,” said GET Ahead Master Trainer Dr. Lenni George.
Through GET Ahead, the ILO and allies, the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE), the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB), and the two junior colleges in the South: Independence Junior College and Ecumenical Junior College, are enhancing capabilities of entrepreneurial women, men, and youth who have minimal access to practical guidance on how to grow their small businesses or business ideas into sustainable businesses.
Globally, Get Ahead has been used in over 30 countries and helped over half a million women better understand the basics of business and find strategies on how to deal with issues such as household and community demands, networking and mobility. In 2017, the programme began incorporating new elements of coaching and peer learning processes, building women’s knowledge and confidence around developing business plans.
GET Ahead is offered under the two-year Joint Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Fund Programme Resilient Belize, which is led by the Government of Belize in partnership with UNICEF, WFP and the ILO. The Joint SDG Fund Programme is designed to align with Belize’s national development plan. It supports the country’s recovery process from the devastating impact of the pandemic and natural disasters, with a focus on vulnerable groups such as women, men, youth, microentrepreneurs and the rural and urban population. The results are centred on two interconnected outcomes, both of which are articulated in the Government’s Medium-Term Development Strategy Priority Areas: Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth. Amongst others, the Joint SDG Fund Programme aims to support male and female entrepreneurs whose incomes and livelihoods were further devastated by COVID-19 and Hurricane Lisa by providing them with access to a strengthened and enabling environment for MSMEs that will enable their growth and reduce their vulnerability to shocks.
Initially rolled out on 03 July 2023 as part of the Joint Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Fund Resilient Belize Project, GET Ahead is proving to be instrumental for fostering economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction.
Designed for women and men with basic numeracy or literacy skills, the inclusive programme started with the training of 21 trainers who are now well equipped to replicate and transfer knowledge and skills. As a result, the GET Ahead trainers are building the capacity of women, men, and youth who seek to learn the business management and essential soft skills they need to embark on their own entrepreneurial journey.
GET Ahead is also designed with a multiplier strategy. To date, the trainers have developed the skills of approximately 220 persons in Belize of which more than 85 per cent are women, 40 per cent are youth, 13.7 per cent are migrants, 1 per cent are refugees, and 5 per cent are persons with disabilities.
The trainers who benefited participants across the country in 10 different locations, are Gabrielle Hulse, Tremmet Perriot, Marceli Richards, Owen Leiva, Tasha Almendarez, Marty Lopez, Zain Hernandez, Nikolai Pulido, Maria Yam, Sandra Medina, Lianne Torres, and Maria Vega. Additional teams are expected to start their training in 2024.
The development of MSMEs has long been a priority of the ILO. Through work with governments, employers’, and workers’ organizations, the specialized United Nations agency seeks to unlock the full potential of MSMEs in achieving a human-centred, green and inclusive growth.
“MSMEs are key to achieving productive employment and decent work. They account for approximately two-thirds of all jobs in Belize and are key drivers in creating many new opportunities,” explained Mrs. Pamela Bradley, ILO National Project Coordinator in Belize.
By using the multiplier strategy and building the capacity of local actors, the ILO is promoting the sustainability of an international network of lead trainers by preparing them to become certified in the GET Ahead methodology so they can become independent trainers or training officers of service providers.
“It is important for any economy to be built on strong foundation which is formed from MSMEs. To build this strong foundation, we need a level playing field and that is ensuring that women and men have the same opportunities to create and sustain sustainable enterprises. GET Ahead is a powerful ILO tool that addresses both the business skills needed to be successful and the additional barriers that many women entrepreneurs face,” said GET Ahead Master Trainer Dr. Lenni George.
Through GET Ahead, the ILO and allies, the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE), the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB), and the two junior colleges in the South: Independence Junior College and Ecumenical Junior College, are enhancing capabilities of entrepreneurial women, men, and youth who have minimal access to practical guidance on how to grow their small businesses or business ideas into sustainable businesses.
Globally, Get Ahead has been used in over 30 countries and helped over half a million women better understand the basics of business and find strategies on how to deal with issues such as household and community demands, networking and mobility. In 2017, the programme began incorporating new elements of coaching and peer learning processes, building women’s knowledge and confidence around developing business plans.
GET Ahead is offered under the two-year Joint Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Fund Programme Resilient Belize, which is led by the Government of Belize in partnership with UNICEF, WFP and the ILO. The Joint SDG Fund Programme is designed to align with Belize’s national development plan. It supports the country’s recovery process from the devastating impact of the pandemic and natural disasters, with a focus on vulnerable groups such as women, men, youth, microentrepreneurs and the rural and urban population. The results are centred on two interconnected outcomes, both of which are articulated in the Government’s Medium-Term Development Strategy Priority Areas: Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth. Amongst others, the Joint SDG Fund Programme aims to support male and female entrepreneurs whose incomes and livelihoods were further devastated by COVID-19 and Hurricane Lisa by providing them with access to a strengthened and enabling environment for MSMEs that will enable their growth and reduce their vulnerability to shocks.