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IFC Widens Business Training Program in Yemen
In Sana’a:
Name: Wael Makki
Phone: +967 (1) 413 708
E-mail: Wmakki@ifc.org
In Cairo:
Name: Khadiga Fahmy
Phone: +2 2461 9140
E-mail: KFahmy@ifc.org
Sana’a, Yemen November 11, 2009—IFC,
a member of the World Bank Group, is expanding its support for smaller
businesses in Yemen by helping a growing number of men and women in the
country acquire business and management skills.
IFC has signed agreements with six training
providers in Yemen to offer Business Edge, an IFC management training product
that helps strengthen business skills to improve the business performance
and competitiveness of individuals and firms.
IFC is hosting a workshop from November
7-11 to certify 10 people as Business Edge trainers. These new trainers
will then be able to expand business training opportunities in the country.
Since IFC launched Business Edge in
Yemen in 2004, the program has trained 7,000 unique individuals, of which
15 percent were women, with an average repeat rate of three courses per
person. The program is seeking to train 15,000 more people over the next
three years. IFC is also working to expand Business Edge training to more
rural areas in Yemen.
IFC’s Yemen Country Manager, Raymond
Conway, said, “IFC’s Business Edge offers Yemenis access to business
training that is vital to create an active private sector, especially for
smaller businesses. By giving smaller business the tools to grow, Yemen
will see increased growth and job opportunities.”
Britain’s DFID has contributed to a
three-year program to finance multiple projects in Yemen, which will be
implemented by IFC and the Foreign Investment Advisory Service (FIAS) in
collaboration with the Yemeni government and the private sector. This funding
will assist IFC Advisory Services efforts’ in addressing the obstacles
faced by the private sector of one of the region’s most challenging markets.
IFC’s Business Edge is delivered by
selected local training partners and certified local trainers and sets
a new standard for business training in developing countries. It was rolled
out in the Middle East and North Africa region in 2004 and is available
in Afghanistan, Egypt, Pakistan, and Yemen, and in other IFC regions including
Latin America and the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group,
creates opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives.
We foster sustainable economic growth in developing countries by supporting
private sector development, mobilizing private capital, and providing advisory
and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. Our new investments
totaled $14.5 billion in fiscal 2009, helping channel capital into developing
countries during the financial crisis. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
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