The China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) has initiated a programme to offer practical skill training for local artisans to improve their business operations.The programme, dubbed “ICT and Business Management for Artisans”, employs tools in information communication technology to impart business and financial management skills.The first batch of artisans, drawn from the Suame Light Industrial Area, enrolled in the three-week course at the Osei Tutu II Centre for Executive Education & Research (OTCEER), Kumasi.“I was in the old system, but this training has turned me to the new system”, said Sarpong Boateng, Chairman of the Mechanical Association at Suame. “I have learnt that a customer is always right, so I have to do what exactly the customer wishes me to do and I will do a perfect, excellent job to the customer’s satisfaction”.The artisans say additional training in modern auto diagnosis as well as linkages with foreign automobile engineering centres are critical to enable them keep pace with trends in vehicle repairs and maintenance.Programme Manager, Professor Mathew Tsamenyi, told Luv Biz Report the goal is to support local firms to integrate standard and best practices into their day-to-day business operations.“We teach them how to use ICT in their business; that is why the laptops we’ve given them, we actually have accounting software on it which would allow them to prepare their financial statement and plan for their business”, he stated.The programme was funded by Prudential Bank and according to Monica Boakye Kutin, Ashanti regional marketing manager, the bank’s investment in the training is based on its belief that “an educated customer is easier to deal with”.She believes the imparted knowledge would enable the artisans to keep proper records, control their inventory and hence be better positioned to access quality working capital to expand.The idea is to expand the scheme to cover other trade groups, said Prof. Tsamenyi.“For example, early next year we’re going to run a two-day programme in Kumasi for women entrepreneurs , where the idea is to teach them some of these basic skills”, he announced.