Routes to Retail Skills

Required qualifications

The course is designed as a progression option for learners from our ‘Routes to’ provisions and specifically for learners who aspire to gain employment within the retail industry. Therefore, completion of Routes to College and Routes to Vocational Education (or another E3 vocational course) is required prior to enrolling onto the retail course.

Ideally, learners will be operating at entry level 3 for maths and English, or working towards their GCSE grade 4’s.

What skills will I develop?

While working towards an Open Awards Certificate in Retail, you will learn about roles and responsibilities, sales techniques, handling cash and card payments, customer service, inventory management, and retail marketing. Your teachers will support you to learn about business plans, how to identify target markets, and how to implement effective retail strategies to succeed as an entrepreneur.

Careers

This course provides networking opportunities.

The ‘Routes to Retail Skills’ course provides opportunities to connect with industry professionals, guest speakers, and fellow students who share similar interests and career goals. Networking can help you build valuable relationships, gain insights from experienced professionals, and explore potential job opportunities within the retail sector. Regardless of your current level of experience in retail, there is always room for growth and development.

The ‘Routes to Retail Skills’ course offers a structured environment for learning and self-improvement, allowing you to enhance your skills, broaden your knowledge base, and become a more effective retail professional.

The ‘Routes to Retail Skills’ programme has been tailored to meet the needs of learners preparing for supported internships within the charity sector, retail industry and much more. This programme equips participants with specialised retail skills essential for their transition into the workforce.

Work experience

Participants engage in work experience (WEX) either in groups or individually, with a focus on encouraging them to pursue volunteering opportunities that align with their long-term goals and aspirations. Additionally, we organise various employer and volunteer fairs throughout the year, along with informative talks by local companies and organisations, to provide insight into opportunities available within the local community.

English and maths

Progression in maths and English up to the age of 25 is expected for learners with an education, health and care plan (EHCP).

For those operating at a Functional Skills level from entry level 1 to level 1, their maths and English sessions will occur within their designated ‘Routes to’ group.

Learners who have attained a GCSE grade previously, or for whom it is the next educational milestone, will be allocated to an appropriate GCSE or Functional Skills level 2 group. This arrangement aims to aid and bolster their ongoing advancement in maths and English.

Other important information

Given our focus on making the programme as hands-on and captivating as feasibly possible, we have opened a college shop which has been learner-led and stocked per the learners’ market research and responding to learner and staff responses. This is open to change as the new cohorts take the lead on the college shop.

Additionally, we anticipate each learner to arrive prepared for learning by having their own stationary supplies. Moreover, we kindly request a financial contribution from parents/learners to support trips and visits associated with the course. A bus pass will be useful in order for us to incorporate travel training into the course as well. Upon successful application to the programme, detailed information regarding these requirements will be provided to you.