Bosses and managers who want to learn about productivity may now enrol in a new training programme targeted at small and medium enterprises (SMEs). A three-month course to help SMEs pick up productivity tools was launched by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) and Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA).

Some 160 SMEs have signed up, said the SCCCI and WDA on Monday. The first run of the course starts next week. The programme includes classroom lessons and hands-on workshops.

SME bosses will also get to meet overseas productivity experts and work on a two-month project to boost productivity in their firms. The WDA said that the course will benefit SMEs because it is the first time a customised programme has been put together to help businesses their size "develop and implement enterprise-wide productivity improvements that are best suited to their companies' needs".

The course is subsidised by the WDA and SMEs pay less than $1.000 each for the three-month programme. The details of the course are available at www.scciob.edu.sg