Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1001069
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 4 JULY 2018 11 ANALYSIS www.creditinfo.com.mt info@creditinfo.com.mt Tel: 2131 2344 Your Local Partner for Credit Risk Management Solutions Supporting you all the way We believe that eCommerce can play a def ining role in enabling our business community to break the mould and extend their business away from our shores 'eBiznify' eCommerce training programme launched A new training programme focused on enabling Malta's micros and small and me- dium-sized enterprises to use eCommerce to become globally competitive was launched yesterday by the Malta Communications Au- thority (MCA), as part of the National eCommerce Strat- egy (2014 – 2020). The eCommerce training programme, named 'eBi- znify', is to be offered com- pletely free of charge to mi- cros and SMEs to help them become proficient in eCom- merce, and enhance their competence on the develop- ment of eCommerce-related services. Fully accredited by the National Commission for Further and Higher Edu- cation (NCFHE), the course will be delivered online via a dedicated eLearning plat- form, with the first course commencing in October 2018. The course is financed through EU funding with a total investment of €321,000. The government feels that enabling local small enter- prises to embrace business in the digital age through a higher competence in eCom- merce, may be pivotal in boosting Malta's business community globally. "We believe that eCom- merce can play a defining role in enabling our busi- ness community to break the mould and extend their busi- ness away from our shores," Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation, Silvio Schembri said about the programme. "We under- stand this is not a trivial task and it involves both invest- ment and planning, however, it also provides businesses with a unique opportunity to open up to a worldwide mar- ket with limitless possibili- ties." Aaron Farrugia, Parliamen- tary Secretary for EU Funds and Social Dialogue, stressed that, with tech and economic development happening at a breakneck pace all around the world, it isn't hard to en- vision how advances in tech- nologies are leading to the automation of our future. "I urge interested SMEs to tap into more EU funded programmes and ICT-related opportunities. Our eCom- merce grant scheme assists undertakings through a non- repayable grant to finance investment for the develop- ment of eCommerce websites and mobile applications. The investment should enable online payments or booking systems through the integra- tion of an online payment gateway, the maximum grant value is set at €5,000. It is time to make Maltese busi- ness entities and the EU sin- gle market fit for the digital age," he said. The course will guide local business-owners through a series of modules, including an Introduction to eCommerce, Taking your Business Online, Promoting Your Online Business, Deliv- ering Your Products, Cross- border eCommerce, Content Design & Development, and Data Analytics. The 'eBiznify' initiative joins another that is also related to eCommerce and driven by the MCA, 'Fast- Trak'. Now in its second it- eration, 'FastTrak' can be considered a great introduc- tion to 'eBiznify', as it pro- vides short, informal elevator sessions in which attendees learn quick wins they can im- mediately apply to their on- line presence, and is the ideal foundation for the more de- tailed and advanced training that will be delivered through 'eBiznify'. 'eBiznify' is supported by Jobsplus, Malta Enterprise and the Directorate for Life- long Learning, in collabora- tion with the Malta Cham- ber of Commerce, Malta Employers' Association, and GRTU – Malta Chamber of SMEs. The MCA launched a free training programme that equips local enterprises to compete effectively in today's global marketplace