Employee Training Starts With the Basics
One of the UK's top four supermarket chains, Sainsbury's, announced recently that it will work with an external awarding body to help employees achieve qualifications in a range of industry-relevant skills as well as essentials such as literacy and numeracy. The practical skills to be measured will include stock control, merchandising and health and safety. For those wanting to improve their math and English, training will be online with personal tutors so everyone can work at their own pace.
Ensuring that employees have a wide range of basic, as well as job-related, skills is becoming increasingly important to UK-based retailers. National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are a means of accrediting on-the-job experience. They start at the most basic level and work all the way up to pretty substantial management competences but are entirely based on proving the necessary competences rather than relying on classroom studies and exams. External specialist assessors and organizations make the awards to ensure objectivity and consistency. NVQs are recognized, like any other government-approved qualification, wherever the recipient goes. They are generally seen as an addition, or alternative, to purely academic achievements.
According to newspaper reports, Sainsbury's believes that 25 percent of its 150,000 strong workforce will get one of the new qualifications in the next five years. Sainsbury's chief executive, Justin King, was quoted as saying, "Every one of our colleagues can improve their skills, which not only benefits our customers but also supports our colleagues, to achieve their full potential." Existing apprenticeship schemes in the bakery, fish and meat departments will continue. The company is reportedly the first retailer, and largest employer, to offer such a range of opportunities to its entire workforce.
By using an external awarding body, Sainsbury's employees' qualifications are more likely to be transferable than any designed by the company itself. Endorsements came from the government's Skills Secretary, John Denham, and Richard Wainer, head of education and skills at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Mr. Denham said, "We know that those companies that invest in skills are best equipped to weather tough economic times, and are also best placed to capitalize on opportunities for growth." Mr. Wainer commented, "It shows how employers can play a valuable role creating opportunities for people."
Discussion questions: Should retailers help employees gain industry-accredited and relevant qualifications? Which skills would be most suitable (and useful)?
[Author's commentary] The Sainsbury's project resembles that introduced by McDonald's (see RetailWire, 1/30/08: Uproar in UK Over Approval Of McDonald's Qualifications) at the beginning of this year with the difference that this one is externally structured and examined. When discussing McDonald's, RW contributors largely applauded the idea of encouraging employees to improve their qualifications.