Twenty local professional printing SMEs in Ghana are to benefit from a commercial and technical skills training programme expected to improve production in the country.

The programme dubbed “Professional Print Excellence” is a partnership between non-profit organization Invest in Africa and imaging solutions leader Canon.

As part of the partnership, Canon will provide specialised printing training for 20 SMEs from Q3 2016 to Q4 2016, followed by a mentorship programme in 2017, while Invest in Africa will provide training on business development and business management best practices.

“Professional Printing Excellence” programme was established in response to a study conducted by Canon to understand the professional printing industry in Ghana.

The study found that some corporate organisations are often using print providers in foreign countries for their print requirements.

The research identified that 96 percent of companies believe business in Ghana will grow in the next three to five years.

About 64 percent of surveyed companies said they could be persuaded to have more material printed within Ghana if printing quality is improved.

Participating SMEs will be able to obtain details of tenders from international companies in Ghana via Invest in Africa’s Africa Partner Pool (APP), with the ultimate objective of winning more tenders than they would have been able to do without the training.

“The training sets the stage for the selected SMEs to increase competitiveness, drive revenue and provide them with a better chance of accessing finance using the African Partner Pool” Sam Brandful, Ghana Manager, Invest In Africa told JOY BUSINESS.