Information for Employers
The Program
The program, provided by IBEC Retail Skillnet, offers FETAC accredited qualifications to be gained in the workplace. The training has been designed for retailers, by retailers. Our feedback also comes from retailers, who report that the training program produces results such as:
- Increased productivity
- Improved customer service and product knowledge
- Implementation of modern merchandising techniques
- Improved staff morale
- Reduction in staff turnover and absenteeism levels
The training program is designed to become part of your everyday business; it is on the job training, delivered in-store by your own people with support from the IBEC Retail Skillnet team. The training is cost effective and is delivered at a time and pace that suits your business and your staff.
The modules have been developed to address the core business needs of every retail outlet. The training material that is provided by IBEC Retail Skillnet is generic in terms of retailing, drawing on examples from the grocery, fashion, footwear, electrical and furniture sectors. Companies may wish to tailor the training to make it company specific; this can be done in agreement with IBEC Retail Skillnet.
When you purchase a module you will receive a folder, which contains a training resource and information for the assessor, and a CD providing the same information which allows the company to access and produce the relevant material as and when they need it. This means that a module should only need to be purchased once for each business, however a company may decide to purchase one master copy for each branch.
IBEC Retail Skillnet is a non-profit organisation and only generates revenue to cover costs and match funding. The program is controlled by the Retail Network and all decisions regarding the program are made by the Network. The Network is made up of all the retailers who participate in the training.
Assessor Role
Initially at least one member of your management or supervisory team must be trained as an assessor. This person should ideally already be involved in training staff and or assessing their performance on the job.
As the program gathers momentum you may decide to train more assessors, perhaps one in each department.
We recommend that an assessor does not work with more than five employees to begin with, but as they become more familiar with the process they should be able to train and assess around twelve at any one time, this will obviously vary when taking into consideration individual capabilities and workloads.
The Assessor Training takes the form of a two day workshop, covering all aspects of the modular training resources, the assessment process and how to implement the training in store.
Assessor support workshops are also held on a regular basis to support the assessors as they adjust to their new role.
During their training, assessors develop their Assessor Portfolio which, when completed, is submitted to FETAC for assessment. When successful, they shall receive their FETAC Level 6 Assessor Award.
Candidates / Employees
As a company you may decide that all employees should take part in the training program, using it as an essential training tool for the company. Alternatively you may decide to offer the training to all staff, stressing that taking part is optional, not obligatory.
The decision will ultimately lie with the company, and may be dependent on other factors such as:
- Training already used in the workplace
- Employee profile - in terms of length of service etc…
- Needs of the company
- Desired outcomes of training
In stores which offered the training on an optional basis it was found that as the training gathers momentum and staff see their colleagues receiving their qualifications and certificates for the work they do, others will look to join in. Everyone wants to be part of the success story.
The company may decide to work through all of the modules. Alternatively you may decide to select individual modules to target areas where the greatest need is, or where the store does not have an established training tool.
Employees will receive a FETAC Level 5 Certificate for every module they complete. However if they successfully complete 8 modules, including Safety and Health at Work, Work Experience and Communications, they are awarded an overall qualification - FETAC Level 5 Certificate in Retail Operations.
How the Program works
When a company decides to participate in the Retail Occupational Qualifications program, a member of the IBEC Retail Skillnet team will visit the store to give a short presentation on the program and to address any questions or queries about the qualifications.
The next step is to organise an Assessor Training Workshop, where appropriate members of staff will receive training to implement the training in-store and also to assess employees participating in the training. The Assessor Training Workshop takes place over 2 days. It can be delivered in-store, if there are sufficient numbers, or in a nearby location suitable for training. All assessors will be registered with FETAC in preparation for the processing of their FETAC Level 6 Assessor Award.
On completion of the 2 day training course, assessors will be provided with the training materials to assist the delivery of the Retail Customer Service module. Any necessary support will be provided, by IBEC Retail Skillnet, as assessors begin to implement the Retail Customer Service module training with employees in-store.
Any employees taking part in the training will be registered with FETAC as candidates. The candidates are given the resource material which accompanies the module, they work through the material with the assistance of their assessor. As employees progress through the material they are assessed, using a variety of methods, by their assessor.
Once the assessor is satisfied that the candidate meets the criteria required to receive their qualification they complete an Assessment Booklet with the candidate. This Assessment Booklet is then sent to IBEC Retail Skillnet Head Office for Verification.
FETAC confer the Qualifications twice a year, Summer and Winter. Assessment Booklets must be returned to IBEC Retail Skillnet in March to be eligible for Summer awards, or in September for Winter awards.
Following the conferring of the awards by FETAC, certificates will be sent to the candidates. Many stores decide to hold a presentation evening at which the awards are presented to the candidates. These evenings are regularly attended by Government ministers, IBEC officials and Skillnets personnel. These presentation evenings are important as they provide recognition for the qualifications which the candidates have achieved.
The Program in Action
