Brockenhurst College’s Retail Skills Shop is celebrating after being selected as an NIACE Adult Learners’ Week South East Learning Project Award winner.
The Award is in recognition of the Retail Skills Shop’s provision of high quality retail training to unemployed adults in Hampshire, in order to prepare them for employment in the sector.
The project, set up in April 2011 as a partnership between Brockenhurst College, Southampton City Council, Job Centre Plus and The National Skills Academy for Retail, aims to tackle growing employment levels and the need for trained retail staff. Working with local retailers and major recruiters to ensure adults are trained to the standards they require, the Retail Skills Shop also delivers bespoke training packages to meet retailers’ specific recruitment needs.
1278 learners have trained with the Retail Skills Shop over the past two years, with 40% securing employment as a direct result and many others being inspired to progress with further training.
Emma Barratt, the Skills Shop’s Development Manager said: “The high-success rate of the initiative attracts a range of learners who would otherwise be reluctant to return to learning. We ran a recent training programme with a local General Hospital and recruited all the learners who applied, including a significant number of older applicants who have previously struggled to find employment.”
The Brockenhurst team will be presented with the Award on 21st May during a ceremony at the Museum of London, which will mark this year’s Adult Learners’ Week. Held each May, Adult Learners’ Week is an annual National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) campaign which encourages thousands of adults to give learning a go, whether for pleasure, to catch up on skills missed out at school or for career advancement.
Brockenhurst College Principal, Di Roberts said: “To receive recognition for the hard work undertaken by all partners involved in the Retail Skills Shop’s success is a wonderful achievement. Training schemes such as this make a real difference to individuals, the local community and businesses, and Adult Learners’ Week is a great opportunity for this to be recognised and used to inspire others as to the benefits of lifelong learning.”