A 10-week training course that Trade Malta promotes with early-stage exporters is being accredited as a unit within the University of Malta’s Programme in the Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The course is designed for SMEs interested in exporting and internationalising their products or services. Starting in January 2017, the programme consists of eight workshop sessions, delivered by academics and industry professionals, and two panel discussions during which experienced exporters share their thoughts with participants.
Following a process of quality assurance, the University accredited the course which is now worth four ECTS credits that are valid towards any certificate, diploma, higher diploma and Bachelor degree in Liberal Studies. This accreditation provides course participants access to the University’s online resources and other facilities. The SME Internationalisation and Export Management course covers topics such as export readiness, financing and risk, international marketing strategies, relationship management, financial forecasting, market intelligence, industry analysis and using social media for export.
The course is part of Trade Malta’s Go Global programme which also provides SMEs with a free diagnosis of export readiness and financial assistance for executing their export plans. The programme is supported by HSBC Commercial banking.
The collaboration between the University and Trade Malta was formalised in an agreement signed by the rector Alfred Vella and the director of its Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences, Jean-Paul De Lucca, and David Curmi, chairman, and Anton Buttigieg, CEO, on behalf of Trade Malta.