IN AN Australian first, small business owners should soon be able to receive business training over the Internet.
In fact, their online study could possibly start them on the way to a degree.
Combined Small Business Associations of WA executive director Peter West said small business owners rarely had the time to leave their business to improve their education.
Mr West said the idea for online small business training came from West Coast College of TAFE’s Hospitality Internet Project, which drew a high commendation in this year’s Inform-ation Technology and Telecom-munications Awards.
The college offered training to hospitality apprentices online.
“We did a survey of the Stirling Business Association and found 60 per cent of our members were online,” Mr West said.
The small business online project has been given tentative ap-proval for $200,000 funding from the WA Department of Training.
Mr West said South West Col-lege of TAFE was also involved.
“We are trying to get 50 people in the north to participate online and another 50 people in the south to either go online or use computer facilities in Armadale or Gosnells,” he said.
The pilot program is expected to get underway in January.
“The online course will let small business people go at their own pace,” Mr West said.
“If this comes off it could become a national program or even be marketed overseas.”
The online course will have three modules covering human resource management and the creation of a marketing plan and a business plan.
These modules will go towards a TAFE Level 2 certificate.
Mr West said from there the participant could go on to study a Level 3 certificate and ultimately a university degree.
Content for the online course is being developed by the West Coast College of TAFE and will be assessed by a committee of small business people.
