In driving growth for the economy, employers need employees with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time.
In order to achieve this, work-related qualifications have been reformed to better meet the needs of employers, employees and people entering work.
With 3 million employees, retail is not only the biggest private sector employer in the UK, it is the industry where the reforms will have real impact. Accordingly, some of the sector’s biggest names, including House of Fraser, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s have been involved in overhauling the qualifications system with Skillsmart Retail and awarding organisations, reducing the number of titles from 150 to 10 and creating a new, simplified national framework of retail skills. There are now just three categories of retail qualifications:
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Job-related qualifications - implemented in the workplace for anyone already working in retail. These include Awards, Certificates and Diplomas in Retail Skills and Retail Knowledge, Retail Apprenticeships and Foundation Degrees
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Licence to practise qualifications - the compliance qualifications retailers need to open their doors for business. These include Awards in Food Safety and alcohol licensing qualifications
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Getting into retail qualifications – for anyone at college, school or university looking to work in retail. These include the forthcoming Diploma in Retail Business (in England), Diploma in Fashion Retailing and Diploma in Buying and Merchandising
For a full breakdown of these retail qualifications and to see how they work, download the qualifications leaflet relevant to your part of the UK which you will find at the bottom of the page.
Qualifications are now based on what employers need and what learners can easily access whilst including the best parts of existing vocational qualifications. Fundamentally, they bring choice, clarity and confidence to vocational qualifications.
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Choice:
- Having more say on what qualifications are developed
Vocational qualifications are developed in response to employers' demands.Sector Skills Councils are independent, employer-led organisations that support employers in this development process through Sector Qualifications Strategies, based on detailed labour market intelligence about skills needs in the sector - driving the approval of qualifications.
- A more flexible qualifications system
Under the new structure, learners can build up qualifications on a unit-by-unit basis, making training more accessible to a wider range of learners. The new qualifications on the QCF offer greater flexibility allowing them to include sector- and employer-specific units.
Ø Employers benefit from improved retention rates and profitability |
Clarity:
- Understanding and comparing qualifications more easily
All vocational qualifications under the new structure have straightforward titles that tell you about its size, its level of difficulty and the skills area it covers, so you'll have a better idea of the skills an employee has as a result of completing the qualification.
Ø Employers benefit from easier and effective succession planning |
Confidence:
- A better skilled workforce
All vocational qualifications must be approved by sector skills councils as being robust and fit-for-purpose. Having staff with nationally recognised qualifications means employers can be confident that they have the right knowledge and skills to do the job.
Ø Employers benefit from mapping their training to nationally recognised qualifications and motivated staff who reach their potential |
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR RETAIL?
The reform of vocational qualifications is part of the biggest shake-up in education for 25 years and incorporates everything from the vocational options available for 14 year-olds at school to adult learning in the workplace. For the first time, employers have been put in the driving seat to bring education and industry closer together in order to create a better skilled, more productive workforce.
GET INVOLVED IN SHAPING QUALIFICATIONS
The process for developing and recognising vocational qualifications directly involves employers, ensuring that the skills needed to improve productivity, generate employment and drive our economy are developed. This means retailers can now:
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Influence sector strategies for skills by voicing views on for example, training gaps and priority skills areas
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Map their in-house training to nationally recognised qualifications
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Work with Skillsmart Retail and our awarding partners to develop relevant units that can be taken as part of a nationally recognised qualification
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Join forces with other retailers to create relevant skills and training
We are waiting to talk to you. To get involved, please contact the Employer Engagement team at Skillsmart Retail here.
For a full breakdown of these retail qualifications and to see how they work, click below and download the qualifications leaflet relevant to your part of the UK.
