The Shopping Small Business Summit, a one-hour virtual training program to help SMB owners build skills and resources to compete online, is one of the projects.
In addition, Google partnered with Coursera, a well-known open online education provider, to develop an online career certificate course in digital marketing and e-commerce for SMEs. The certificate program is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at preparing people for entry-level jobs.
Google has provided 1,000 scholarships to small retail shop owners in Africa who want to participate in the program.
The campaign was part of a month-long celebration of International Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMB) Day, according to the company.
Google Country Director for West Africa, Juliet Ehimuan said, “E-commerce presents an opportunity for small businesses in Africa to reach new customers and grow. Through the digital marketing and e-commerce career certificates, specialised training and 1000 scholarships, we want to be able to assist small businesses in Africa gain the expertise to connect online, expand their customer base and scale up.”
She continues , “the topics would include e-commerce trends and digital marketing, and the programmes marking International SMB day this month underline Google’s commitment to ensuring that small retail businesses across Africa have access to the digital technologies, tools, and training they need to prosper and be more resilient.”
