The modern apprentice

Sera Smith, a retail modern apprentice at Benchmark, says signing up for the apprenticeship has helped combine all of her interests into a career.

"I have always had an interest in the building industry and I love interacting with people, so a retail apprenticeship in a hardware store is perfect for me.''

Sera fell into retail employment after hearing of a vacancy through a friend, and has loved it ever since.

"Being in retail means I deal with a wide range of customers and situations every day, and it's great to be in a job where you know there will be no monotony.''

Sera was offered the apprenticeship when her manager spotted her potential just over a year ago. She has since completed her national certificate in retail level two and is just starting her level three.

"Doing the apprenticeship has meant I have been allowed to learn all aspects of retailing that I possibly would not have experienced. My employers have been great with allowing me the freedom to investigate all parts of the business.''

Sera says the learning has been very relevant to her day-to-day duties, and the practical nature of the assessments has made them enjoyable and far more suited to her than exams or tests.

"Retail has taught me extreme patience and given me the skills to adapt to all personality types and relate to people from all walks of life skills that are invaluable in any industry.''

Her aptitude in these areas has seen doors open for her, as she is about to embark on supervisory training through Benchmark as well as her modern apprenticeship.

"In the future I think I would like to manage my own store, but having the apprenticeship qualifications has given me a head start no matter what I do.''

Sera's advice for young retailers is: "Do a retail modern apprenticeship. The qualifications create a window of opportunity that can lead you into a very exciting career, but remember, retail is like any industry, your own personal motivation is the key.''