Skillsmart
Some of the UK's biggest retail names and companies have launched the National Skills Academy for Retail, in the hope of creating the biggest network of retail training centres ever seen.
In response to the growing demand for a skilled workforce, ‘Dragons’ Den’ star Theo Paphitis, Mary ‘Queen of Shops’ Portas, John Lewis Partnership Chairman Charlie Mayfield and Kingfisher Plc CEO Ian Cheshire all showed up to launch the scheme last month.
Minister for Skills and Apprenticeships, Lord Young was also in London to launch the new Skills Academy for Retail, in which retail skills shops across the country will become part of a network, providing access to world-class skills and business support for retailers, employees and the future workforce.
The retail sector currently employs 3 million people in the UK, but 2009 saw the closure of 18 companies with the loss of 43,000 jobs. This equated to 1.3% of the retail workforce.
At the same time, 39,500 new jobs have been announced so far this year by companies including Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco, H&M, Asda, Waitrose and Poundland.
In fact, according to a report by UK Commission for Employment and Skills a potential requirement of around one million jobs that will need filling in the period up to 2017.