The Ghana Office of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Sekondi /Takoradi Chamber of Commerce and Industry have organised a week-long training on Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) for businesses in the Western Region.

It aimed at ensuring that the participants remain relevant in the value chain.

The SCORE is a practical training and in-factory consulting programme developed by the ILO to improve productivity and working conditions in small and medium enterprises to become globally competitive.

Mr Kwamina Amoasi-Andoh, National Programmes Manager of the ILO for the SCORE project told the GNA that the programme is a response to the conclusions reached by the governments, employers and workers at the International Labour Conference in 2007 to ensure sustainable enterprises.

He said enterprises needed to be innovative, adopt the right technologies, develop the human resources and skills and enhance productivity bearing in mind best international practices in the manufacturing and service sectors and help SMEs to participate in global supply chain.

Mr Amoasi-Andoh added that SMEs must also apply workplace practices based on full respect for fundamental rights at work and international labour standards and foster good labour-management relations as an important means of raising productivity and creating decent work.

He said managers and workers of SMEs were taken through five modules: Work Place Cooperation, Total Quality management, productivity, Human Resource growth and health and safety at the work place.

Already 95 enterprises have been trained with 85 implementing their new acquired skills and plans to increase employment, reduce waste and ensure workers happiness.

Mr Amoasi-Andoh said the project’s pilot phase was implemented in the Greater Accra and Tema Regions with its success stories being shared and replicated in Western and Ashanti Regions.

The SCORE training in Takoradi has 12 pilot trainers who would after certification by the ILO train and consult for other interested businesses.

The ILO is assisting government agencies, training providers, industry associations and trade unions in emerging economies in Africa, Asia and Latin America and is supported by Switzerland and Norway.