SPWE launches training for Small Business Coaches in Suriname

The Stichting Productieve Werk Eenheden (SPWE) has commenced an eight-month training program to develop six Small Business Coaches. The initiative, titled ‘Capaciteitsversterking middels het ontwikkelen van Small Business Coaches voor SPWE ten behoeve van professionele dienstverlening aan micro- en kleine ondernemers’, aims to strengthen professional guidance for startup, micro, and small entrepreneurs.

Financially supported by the Bureau Gemeenschapsprojecten (BGP), the project seeks to build a nationwide pool of certified coaches across various districts. During the opening, Deputy Minister of Health, Welfare, and Labor Raj Jadnanansing emphasized that effective coaching requires not only technical expertise but also communication skills, empathy, and professionalism. He also called for closer cooperation between SPWE and the Stichting Arbeidsmobilisatie en Ontwikkeling (SAO).

SPWE Director Etienne Etman and Supervisory Board Chair Naomi Esajas-Friperson highlighted the importance of improving the quality of entrepreneurial support and the role of micro-entrepreneurship in the economy. Project coordinator Simone Haridat noted that the trainees were selected based on their existing knowledge, experience, and affinity for entrepreneurship.