Business News, 9 June 2022

Dear members,

We have an extensive newsletter to share with you today, including information about SBO training in Tanna next week, free soft skills training support on offer for our businesses in Tourism, an update on our work supporting the IDF grant program and a reminder of our AGM in 2 weeks’ time. More detail can be found below:

Join the Council – ‘Be the Change’
VCCI is holding its Annual General Meeting in Port Vila on 23 June. This year we have 8 seats available on the Council representing the following industry sectors: Tourism, Construction, Small Business (2), Large Business, Finance and Land Transport.

To promote the event we have created a short video, please click here to watch two of our Council members Christoph Crowby (Member for Agriculture) and Valenie Jacob (Member for Women) talk about what motivated them to join.

If you hold a valid business licence in any of the categories above you can nominate yourself for consideration. We are looking for passionate and driven business men and women who want to build a stronger private sector and are focused on economic growth for all. If you are interested, please click here to download a nomination form.

If you are a valid business license holder you are able to vote for who you want to see on this years Council. Come along or vote by proxy before the 23 June. For more information on how to vote click here..

A final list of nominations for each category will be made public on Saturday 18 June in the Daily Post, VCCI’s FB and website.

VCCI to run SBO Training in Tanna
We will be coming to Tanna next week to run the Safe Business Operations (SBO) training to businesses there.

We will be there for 1 week to run 8 SBO trainings sessions in total to help businesses understand the key messages from the Ministry of Health and also help them to develop their own SOP/Work Health & Safety Plans which is a requirement for businesses to have in order to operate under the SoHE.

All trainings will be hosted at Nikoletan Council of Chiefs Nakamal at Lenakel next week and if you wish to attend get in touch with your Area Secretaries so that we can organize for a transport to bring you down to Lenakel to attend the training. The program is as shown below:

Training Sessions	Business Located at these areas to attend
Monday 13th June
Afternoon Session (1:30pm START)	Lenakel/ Isangel
Tuesday 14th June
Morning Session (9:00am START)	Lenakel/ Isangel
Afternoon Session (1:30pm START)	Lenakel/ Isangel
Wednesday 15th June
Morning Session (9:00am START)	South & South West Tanna
Afternoon Session (1:30pm START)	East & South East Tanna
Thursday 16th June
Morning Session (9:00am START)	North & Central Tanna
Afternoon Session (1:30pm START)	West Tanna
Friday 17th June
Morning Session (9:00am START)	Lenakel/ Isangel

The training is FREE and we are encouraging businesses in Tanna to attend. If you have any questions, or want to book your place please call Adrian on 7780870.

VCCI helping Tourism Businesses with free Soft Skills Training
Yesterday VCCI kicked off in-house training with 15 members of the senior management team at the Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu, providing interactive training in communicating with guests, how to create a team that works as a team, and what skills and attributes make a good team leader.

From HI’s Director of Sales and Marketing Sophia Rodwell – ‘Thank you to VCCI for conducting leadership training for Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu in preparation for reopen on July 1st. Strengthening our leaders helps us build great teams, which will be key to our success in the coming months. Thanks again!’

VCCI, in partnership with APTC, is doing all we can to help tourism businesses prepare for the 1st of July. APTC can help with professional skills for your staff. Starting in Port Vila APTC are offering 5 separate training programs starting the week of the 13th June. These programs will include a 2 day workshop followed by on the job training in the following professional skill areas – Accommodation Services Skills, Cookery and Pastry Skills, Tour Guiding Skills, Reception and Reservation Skills and Food and Beverage Skills. For more information call 24066.

VCCI is offering soft skills training in the following areas

• Customer service basics – how to create a great first impression with guests and customers
• Building a good work ethic and how to give your best
• Problem solving – how to use your own initiative and know when to ask for help
• Personal time management and how to prioritise tasks
• Understanding cross cultural differences and how to bridge them
• Basic communications – for in person, on the phone, and by email

And for staff who manage other staff members:

• How to build an effective team
• Conflict resolution in the workplace
• Delegation skills

If you would like assistance in soft skills training and development for you and your staff, contact us at esther@vcci.vu or call us on 27543. We are here to help.

Both APTC and VCCI are planning to roll out the same training model in Santo later in the month with specific dates and more information to follow. Get in touch!

VCCI supporting IDF grant recipients
The Industry Development Fund Grant program is an initiative of the MTTICNVB, funded in its first year by EDF11. The purpose of the fund is to foster economic growth and co-operation within the Vanuatu’s productive sector in general and to contribute to enhance the economic development potential for the active actors of the industrial sectors of Vanuatu.

In 2021 established manufacturing and value addition businesses were asked to apply for grants of up to 8ML vatu. These grants have provided an injection of funding capital to 34 successful applicants in Shefa and Sanma.

For Alan Aluminium owner Mr. Jean Pascal Alain and Alida Alain the grant has meant they have been able to construct a proper manufacturing workshop and warehouse for their business (Click here to view the picture of our Project Coordinator Max Zacharie standing alongside Alan and Alida at the construction of their new site)

VCCI is working with all successful grant recipients by providing business development support in any way needed. We look forward to what we can achieve together over the next 12 months!

Thank you for your continuous support,
The VCCI team