The Ghana Export Promotion Authority in collaboration with the International Trade Centre and the Institute of Export and International Trade has launched a Diploma in International Trade Programme.

This program is in furtherance of GEPA’s core mandate of capacity building of the exporting community to broaden Ghana’s export basket.

The one-year online programme is aimed at providing participants with opportunities to understand how to trade internationally, develop the capacity to manage, formulate strategic options and define business winning plans in an international trade environment.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Dr. Afua Asabea Asare, said the initiative is part of the long-term goals of reengineering Ghana’s educational system to reflect the human resource needs that would address Ghana’s efforts towards an export-oriented industrialized economy.

She said such training programs will also equip local SMEs reorganize for competition within the African Continental Free Trade Area.

“The expected outcome for the third pillar of National Exports Development Strategy is to have a substantial number of trained men and women actively engaged in businesses in the industrial export products and services value chain.”

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of GEPA, Albert Kassim Diwura said the programme was in four modules, adding that 21 students had already graduated from the first module.

He said, “we will not only give them the tutorials, but we will take them on study tour in the manufacturing firms or the factories where they will see the entire value chain.”