New Trainers Association builds national capacity for enterprise development in Timor-Leste

© Nuncio Da Costa/ILO

© Nuncio Da Costa/ILO

DILI, Timor-Leste (ILO News) – A new Trainers Association has been established in Timor-Leste following a three-day training programme held from 18 to 20 August 2026 under the Agroforestry Skills for Employment and Resilience in Timor-Leste Programme, implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) with funding from the European Union (EU). The association aims to strengthen collaboration among trainers and support the continued delivery of quality entrepreneurship and business development training across the country.

The training was organized in collaboration with the Institute for Business Development Support (IADE), the government institution providing business development support using the ILO’s training methodologies. It was also supported by ILO consultant Ridwani Globe from Indonesia, who specializes in business and financial training, including the ILO’s Start Your Business (SYB) and Generate Your Business Idea (GYB) methodologies.

We hope that the association will continue to grow, bring together trainers from different institutions and sectors and create opportunities for members to share knowledge, experiences and good practices.

Julia Araújo, Director of the National Directorate of Planning, Monitoring and Research at IADE

The programme brought together 31 trainers, 13 women and 18 men, representing IADE, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI), the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Timor-Leste (AEMTL) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Timor-Leste (CCI-TL).

Beyond strengthening technical capacities, the participating trainers discussed how the new association could help maintain the quality of training, strengthen cooperation among trainers, facilitate peer learning and knowledge exchange as well as build a broader pool of qualified trainers available to support entrepreneurs and businesses across Timor-Leste.

© Nuncio Da Costa/ILO

© Nuncio Da Costa/ILO

“IADE is very pleased to be part of the establishment of this association, which represents an important step towards strengthening and connecting trainers across Timor-Leste. We hope that the association will continue to grow, bring together trainers from different institutions and sectors and create opportunities for members to share knowledge, experiences and good practices,” said Julia Araújo, Director of the National Directorate of Planning, Monitoring and Research at IADE.

Julia also highlighted the association’s potential to strengthen national ownership of entrepreneurship and business development training, with IADE playing a central role in the initiative. Moving forward, she noted that members will continue working together to define the association’s structure, governance arrangements, membership framework and priorities, as well as the mechanisms needed to support its long-term sustainability.

The establishment of this association would significantly expand our access to a broader pool of trainers, including ILO-certified trainers who are not affiliated with IADE.

Tendy Gunawan, ILO Rural/TVET Development Officer

Tendy Gunawan, ILO Rural/TVET Development Officer, welcomed the establishment of the association as an opportunity to broaden access to qualified trainers and strengthen the capacity to mobilize certified trainers for future interventions. He also emphasized that, through the Agroforestry Skills project, the ILO continues to work closely with national institutions to strengthen skills development, entrepreneurship and enterprise development systems in Timor-Leste.

“The establishment of this association would significantly expand our access to a broader pool of trainers, including ILO-certified trainers who are not affiliated with IADE. This association would therefore not only benefit the ILO and the current project, but also create a valuable resource that could support other development partners in the future,” he concluded.