NCCI promotes IUM business programme

A MEMORANDUM of understanding was signed yesterday between the Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) and the International University of Management (IUM).

In it, the NCCI pledges to promote IUM courses to its members in order to upgrade their skills.
Tara Shaanika, CEO of the NCCI, said the benefits of training at the IUM would far outweigh the cost of the courses and that NCCI members should use their development budgets to send their employees for training.
He said especially SMEs often struggle with basic skills which lead to their businesses failing within a short time.
A year of study at the IUM costs between N$10 000 and N$12 000 and according to Vice Chancellor David Namwandi it is ‘very cost-effective’.
However, Shaanika said no money would exchange hands between the two organisations, which leaves the question of how SME entrepreneurs will be able to finance their studies.
Shaanika said at the signing that Namibia is facing a severe skills shortage and that ‘if you don’t have a skilled workforce you cannot have a competitive country’.
He said Namibian companies are importing experts because local skills are lacking.
According to Shaanika, the slow issuing of work permits at Home Affairs makes this process very complicated and it would be much cheaper to employ local people.
The courses offered are in such diverse areas as poverty reduction, natural resources management and basic accounting principles.