E-commerce workshops for Singapore SMEs will be launched under a new program supported by Nanyang Polytechnic’s Singapore Institute of Retail Studies (SIRS).

This follows it signing a memorandum of understanding with Giosis, which runs the e-commerce platform Qoo10 Singapore. The Qoo10-SIRs workshops will be available for current merchants in the online marketplace as well as Singapore SMEs seeking to jumpstart their online sales.

“Getting on to a digital marketplace can be a daunting experience for SMEs,” says Qoo10 SIngapore GM Sam Too.

“Our partnership with Nanyang Polytechnic will enable both newcomers and existing merchants to maximise their operational and marketing capabilities on an established platform with more than 2.5 million registered users.”

Business-management, engineering, digital/interactive media and IT students of the polytechnic will also have opportunities to do internships with Qoo10, which has expanded into China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Malaysia.

“Students from different disciplines will come together to develop creative solutions for the rapidly evolving retail industry,” says Nanyang Polytechnic principal/CEO Jeanne Liew.

Professional training will enable SMEs to understand and embrace digital opportunities, says SIRS director Megan Ong. “We will give them the skills and tools to get updated with the latest industry trends and stay competitive and relevant.”

Too says he hopes other brands will follow the example of the public/private partnership, which is in line with the Singapore government’s initiatives to help SMEs flourish in the e-commerce sector through its SME Go Digital program.

Qoo10 Singapore was launched in June 2010 and has the highest share (8.6 per cent) of e-commerce traffic in Singapore.