In 2004, CETC, in response to requests from an external review as well as stakeholders, piloted the first ever new business creations course or Competency-based Economies through the Formation of Entrepreneurs/Enterprises (CEFE) to regional participants. Since then, it has been offering a CEFE regional Training of Trainers up (TOT) to 2007 with funding and technical support from the Commonwealth Secretariat, Special Advisory Division. In addition, COMSEC also enabled the trainers to conduct local level trainings in 10 Pacific Countries. By 2010, it is estimated that approximately 1,000 already have been trained by these CEFE trainers in most of the Pacific Island Forum countries including SPC US Northern territories.

CETC also partnered with the International Labor Organisation (ILO) Pacific in 2008, to offer a revised Pacific version of the Start To Improve Your Business (SIYB) TOT from 8 countries and these SIYB trainers are also part of the CETC business trainers network.

This CETC Business Development Advisory Program (BDAP) is an extension of this CEFE business TOT and the targets are community enterprises, entrepreneurs and business facilitators or mentors supporting micro and small business enterprise growth in the informal sector economy.

The program piloted in 2009 to extend the CEFE training program, takes an incubator approach which adopts ‘virtual’ and `face to face’ capacity development activities in targeted business development and management areas (finance, marketing, marketing research, product design and development, product enhancement and innovation, quality control and standards, service delivery, network and advocacy) . It aims to develop and enhance the skills of CETC’s current network of business enterprise advisors to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector in the Pacific.

CETC has a specific strategy for the BDAP. These are to:

• Use CEFE (TOT) or SYB training models to train and enhance the capacity of Business Development Service providers so as to enable them assist MSMEs;
• Establish effective BDS networking mechanism for sector activities support;
• Build capacity of sector operatives at all levels for skills and competences through refresher courses and mentoring;
• Establish effective stakeholder coordination mechanisms for sector activity support;
• Promote demand-driven Business Development Services in the Pacific Island countries;
• Pursue targeted BDS market development programs;

Planned activities will include coaching, monitoring, technical assistance and exposure to best practice, technology and innovation face to face training for BDS facilitators and providers and virtual support through the CETC’s MSME portal. The CETC community livelihood skills program as well as its training partners, will also contribute to technical skills requirement from enterprises and community groups where required.