The purpose of enterprise development training is to assist countries in promoting more and better jobs for men and women. The ILO has a long history of enterprise development training. The distinguishing feature of the ILO Turin Centre courses on enterprise development is that they emphasize the employment dimension, and are based on ILO values, principles, Conventions and Recommendations.

The ILO perspective on enterprise development is encapsulated in the concepts of "decent work" and “sustainable enterprise”. Job creation and improving the quality of existing jobs are central to enterprise development, as are upgrading the informal economy and promoting respect for international labour standards. The sustainability of enterprises is also important; courses, therefore, cover economic, social and environmental dimensions. The gender dimension of enterprise development is also considered, and training in women’s entrepreneurship development promotes greater economic participation by women.

Courses cover the topics of entrepreneurship, business-enabling environment, value-chain upgrading, market development, business development services, women’s entrepreneurship development, enterprise restructuring, human resources management, good practice in the workplace, cooperatives, social enterprises and corporate social responsibility.

They draw on the results of international research into good practice, illustrated by case studies. Standard courses are offered through distance learning, onsite training, or a combination of the two. Some courses are offered as part of an Academy, such as the Summer Academy on Sustainable Enterprise Development, during which participants have a choice of topics and opportunities for international networking. Tailor-made courses are also offered both in-country and in Turin, upon request.

The courses are designed so that they can be replicated by participants in their home organizations or countries. Training-of-trainers courses include an International Training of Trainers Forum, which includes generic facilitation skills plus the option to learn to deliver ILO training packages on entrepreneurship, value chains, and agricultural cooperatives.

Each year, the ILO Turin Centre runs around 50 enterprise development courses reaching approximately 2000 participants. The main languages are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. Russian is also available on demand.

For more information on enterprise development courses, please visit this website.