Everal Christian (left), owner of Little Ochie Seafood Restaurant works with Dave Wilson, manager, NCB Retail as a part of the Productivity Workshop simulation exercise. The two-day SME workshop was hosted by the National Commercial Bank in partnership with the HEART Trust/NTA as a part of the NCB Nation Builder Awards programme. Through the programme, SMEs from across the island were invited by their bankers to participate in the two-day training course aimed at providing businesses with tools to enhance productivity while reviewing their current practices to identify and eliminate inefficiencies in their operations. NCB assistant general manager, Bernadette Barrow said that the training programmes would continue to be used as as a platform to encourage “sustainable business development among Jamaica’s SMEs”, given their importance in contributing to economic growth. The workshop was led by senior specialists from the Jamaica Productivity Center, and included modules presented by Akira Tonouchi, Production Consultant from Japan International Cooperation Agency. From the combined workshop, the attendees also underwent business assessments and simulation training relevant to and representative of their own businesses and industries, allowing them to benefit from the local and international expertise.