EU-ILO Agroforestry Skills Project enhances business trainers' expertise with refresher Start and Improve Your Business Course

Dili, Timor-Leste (ILO News) – The EU funded Agroforestry Skills for Employment and Resilience Project, in partnership with IADE and supported by UNDP, successfully completed a refresher Training of Trainers (ToT) programme on Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) for IADE’s business trainers. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) manages the Agroforestry Skills project and brought ILO’s Master Trainer and Co-Trainer to the IADE’s national office to strengthen participants' understanding of core business concepts, update them on the latest strategies, and enhance their competencies in business management.

IADE has been using ILO’s SIYB modules for over 10 years. SIYB has been delivered in over 100 countries and the SIYB training module currently have 400+ Master trainers, 55,000+ trainers, 10,000+ partner organizations, including IADE in Timor-Leste and is continuously evolving. This training aimed to refresh trainers' knowledge of SIYB and provide updated information on emerging business models.

The 5-days training covered a wide range of topics, including costing, marketing, preparation for micro-teaching, financial planning, and trainers' skills. Master Trainer Rini Wahyu Hariyani from Indonesia encouraged participants to apply their newly acquired knowledge to support local enterprises and create green job opportunities through the agroforestry value chains in Timor-Leste. “I hope trainers can continually update business knowledge and references according to trends and developments, thus disseminating them to entrepreneurs in Timor-Leste,” said Rini.

© ILO

© ILO

Participants expressed strong appreciation for the training, perceiving its positive impact on their professional growth. Lívia Maia do Rosário Ximenes, one of the attendees, highlighted how the course helped refresh her knowledge. "This training has restored my confidence and skills, especially in areas like costing and planning," Lívia said, adding that she plans to share her skills with local entrepreneurs in Baucau municipality.

Another participant, Ivo Inocencio Jacob Alecrim, a business trainer at IADE-Ainaro, emphasized the value of the course in enhancing his expertise in financial planning. "Financial planning was the most valuable topic for me. It will greatly assist in advising business clients on pricing, cost calculation, and marketing strategies for agroforestry products," Ivo stated. He believes the refresher training will significantly improve his daily work in supporting local businesses.

The training concluded with participants receiving certificates, confirming their updated expertise in the SIYB programme. Equipped with these enhanced skills, IADE’s business trainers are now better prepared to support local entrepreneurs across municipalities, helping them overcome current challenges and improve business performance in promoting agroforestry products such as coconut, vanilla, and cocoa in Timor-Leste.