Member Article

Golden Era of Retail Enterprise celebrates 10th Anniversary

Industrious young people from the region have been working with retail giant intu to learn from the best about working in the Retail Sector.

Since 2005, World Class Retail Gold has placed more than 300 students with 20 different retailers at both intu Eldon Square and intu Metrocentre, and they learn what work is really like, but do so in an environment that is supportive and professional. The programme enables young people to develop essential employability skills, raise self-confidence and gain a thorough insight into all aspects of working in retail.

The Retail Gold programme, delivered by intu in association with Employers in Education, has enabled Year 12 students on one-year BTEC First Retail, Work skills and Business courses to access real hands-on experience, with retail placements in two of the busiest shopping centres in the UK. The young people have been able to combine their school-based studies with the practical skills developed during their time learning ‘for real’ by participating in extended work placement programmes with successful local retailers.

Students from two Newcastle Schools, Gosforth Academy and Excelsior Academy, alongside students from Blaydon’s St Thomas More Catholic School and Kingsmeadow School in Dunston are attending weekly work placements at Waitrose, John Lewis and Debenhams at intu Eldon Square, as well as House of Fraser, WH Smith and M&S at intu Metrocentre. Students have also been placed within the Customer Services Team at intu Eldon Square.

During the academic year 2014/15, intu has widened the Retail Gold offer to Dilston College in Northumberland and is working with retailers to accommodate the additional needs of a number of their students. Dilston College in Corbridge is an independent specialist college which provides a high standard of education and care for students aged 16 to 25 who have moderate to severe learning disabilities.

As part of their course, students are offered the opportunity to access work experience, supported by one of a team of dedicated job coaches. This offers students an insight into the world of employment which may be one of their long term goals, or may inspire them to think about seeking employment once their college course is complete.

Tracy Allison, Management Consultant, Employers in Education, said:

“It’s amazing to think World Class Retail Gold is celebrating 10 years of providing support for our young people, both in their BTEC studies and in developing essential employability skills for their future careers. Over this substantial length of time, the programme has developed into an example of best practice in education business links and extended work experience programmes.

The support of intu and businesses within their two North East shopping centres has enabled World Class Retail Gold to grow into a work experience programme that adds value and has become an integral part of the offer schools make to their students.

Compared to curricula designed entirely by educators and taught exclusively in schools, learning in the workplace allows young people to develop ‘hard’ skills on modern equipment, and ‘soft’ skills, such as teamwork, communication and negotiation, through real-world experience. Building workplace experience into educational programmes also provides an important channel of feedback from the labour market to education providers about what skills are in demand. These benefits of workplace learning to promote employability apply whether young people are pursuing a vocational/professional pathway or following a more general/academic route.“

Alexander Nicoll, Corporate Responsibility Director at intu, added:

“The Retail Sector has long been an attractive career choice for young people. The industry offers flexible working practices, good training and a variety of work settings. Furthermore the scope of our sector means it can welcome those with educational and additional needs. Over the last 10 years World Class Retail Gold has been refined and adapted to become a genuinely inclusive programme and intu is pleased to be able to support the involvement of Dilston College students for the first time this year.”

Phil Steele, General Manger of intu Eldon Square, said:

“This long term partnership between intu retailers and schools has now been further refined and welcoming Dilston College to the partnership will certainly enhance the Retail Gold programme, going forward. We are delighted to be working with Tracy Allison from Employers in Education who is leading this project to deliver business and retail education in our local schools. Schools report that participation in extended work experience raises pupils’ aspirations and self-confidence, demonstrating the relevance of what is being taught in school and therefore encourages and improves school attendance. These important skills are of course not only relevant in the world of retail, but transferable to any area of work.”

Adam Green Leader of Teaching and Learning in Business and Enterprise, Gosforth Academy, commented:

“Retail Gold is a wonderful initiative. Supported by intu, the programme has, over the ten years it has been running, enabled close to 150 sixth form students from Gosforth Academy to benefit from a real-life work experience as part of their study programme - a regular placement in a high quality local retail environment.

Every year we see the nervous, shy, inexperienced students who arrive in September, grow into confident and knowledgeable young adults, thanks in no small part to the help and support of retailers such as John Lewis and Debenhams. For Gosforth Academy, Retail Gold has become an integral part of our successful one-year “Access for A Level” programme. It ensures that we can offer students on the course opportunities to develop fully as individuals, learning what it really means to be a worker, a learner and a helper; enabling them to make informed choices about the next stage in their life, whether that be further study, training or work. It has been fantastic to see our students go on to be successful knowing that their time on the Retail Gold Programme has helped them to be so. I still see and speak to some of our former Retail Gold students and their time on the programme is always a topic of conversation.”

Students from participating schools and colleges celebrated their success at a presentation ceremony held at Tyneside Cinema, attended by The Mayor of Gateshead, Councillor Neil Weatherley and Alexander Nicoll, Director of Corporate Responsibility, intu Properties PLC.

Connor Wilson, 19, from Lemington, a student at Dilston College, said:

“I am really enjoying my time at Waitrose at intu Eldon Square. I get a lot of support from the staff there, and my personal support worker, Christine. I have enjoyed helping out in the stock room, on the shop floor, and even on the till. I am planning to go into independent living accommodation in the near future and this has certainly helped with my confidence.”

Kyran Nixon (16) a student from Gosforth Academy, added:

“Working in retail at Debenhams has certainly helped me to become more confident, and introduced me to hard and soft skills in the workplace. Some days, when I felt really tired, it was really hard to get motivated but you just have to get on with it and that is all part of working life! I was amazed and delighted to have won a special prize for Most Outstanding Student, I really didn’t expect that! I’m really pleased that I have taken part in the initiative it has been extremely worthwhile.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lyn Spencer .