Skill builder

WORK EXPERIENCE: Jake Billyeald of The Warehouse (left) with Lyndon from Auckland Boys Grammar School,one of the students taking part in the Red Shirts in Schools programme.

Working closely with careers advisers nationwide, Emma Ferraby of Retailworld Resourcing moves about the country promoting careers in retail.

Along the way she interacts with national retailers who work with local communities and schools to help the transition for students into the workforce.

One of the initiatives that has impressed Ferraby is the Red Shirts in Schools programme, which arranges work experience for secondary school students at The Warehouse stores.

Co-ordinator Jake Billyeald focuses on six stores in South and East Auckland and the schools in the surrounding areas. Working with Gateway co-ordinators and careers advisers, he has developed a programme that sees students spending one school day a week in stores working through a training programme and gaining valuable work experience.

Typically, the course is a year long, but students can be accelerated depending on their ability and progress. All participants work through a series of four modules; health and safety, merchandising, loss prevention and customer service. The modules are taught in a practical manner initially and followed up with theory.

Says Ferraby, of Retailworld Resourcing: "Once gained, these skills are transferable to any industry that the students choose to work in, while also offering a great base from which to launch a career in retail.

"The programme is a win-win situation. The students benefit by gaining valuable skills and work experience, and store staff benefit through being given the opportunity to take pride in teaching their skills to the students and realising the value of their knowledge.''

The objectives are to improve awareness of students and careers advisers of careers in retail, to enhance education by linking business with the curriculum, to invite potential future team members to experience the store environment and to offer students a chance to view business and make decisions.

The programme also helps students to develop socially as they react to situations outside their normal environment, including decision-making, leadership planning and organisation, and the discipline of work, negotiating and teamwork.

The Warehouse hopes to roll out this programme through other stores and schools.

Ferraby says: "It's fantastic to see this sort of initiative taking place in the market. Chances are your local retail businesses are working in a similar way with schools in your community.''

For further information on this or other transition programmes, email Emma Ferraby at: emma@rwr.co.nz