Graduation ceremony for local job seekers
Seven local people will graduate from a Carlisle Retail Academy
training course funded through Carlisle College ‘Skills For Jobs’
project tomorrow (Friday, 13 June), at 11.30am, at Tullie House
Museum.
The Retail Academy was launched last year and is aimed to
address recruitment and skills issues within the retail sector in
Carlisle. Carlisle College has secured funding from the Learning
and Skills Council for the ‘Skills for Jobs’ pilot. This initiative
is aimed at equipping individuals with the skills and confidence to
secure long term employment.
Moira Tattersall, Principal at Carlisle College, said:
"Carlisle College is delighted to be a partner in
this innovative project. Training and development is essential to
economic prosperity for individuals and the city of Carlisle. This
is central to the core purposes of the College."
The Carlisle Renaissance scheme was backed by Carlisle City
Council and the Northwest Development Agency and was created
following a suggestion from the Commercial Director of The Lanes
Shopping Centre, David Jackson, who had seen examples of similar
initiatives in other parts of the UK.
The courses have been delivered by 'Winning Way' initiatives, a
specialist retail training company. A steering group was set up to
manage the content and monitor the effectiveness of the pilot
project. The membership includes Carlisle City Council, JobCentre
Plus, Carlisle Housing Association, Carlisle College, Hoopers, BHS,
Debenhams, Fat Face and Marks & Spencer. The retailers lead the
group.
Retail growth features prominently within the plans for Carlisle
Renaissance and the City Council is keen to develop the initiative
that looks at addressing some of these issues in partnership with
local retailers.
The training delivered is aimed at assisting individuals in
developing their self-confidence and also their understanding of
working within retail. This hoped to enable them to secure
long-term careers within the sector. The course lasts for three
weeks, 16 hours per week and included:
- an introduction to retail;
- delivering first class service;
- communication skills;
- team working;
- creating solutions;
- positive thinking and improving self confidence; and
- interviewing techniques and job search skills.
Carlisle City Cllr Marilyn Bowman, Portfolio holder for Economic
Development & Enterprise said:
"The Carlisle Renaissance agenda is highlighting
the wider need to diversify Carlisle’s economy. We need to assist
our workforce in gaining new skills and to work with local
employers to ensure that they are able to address their recruitment
issues and skills gaps.
"I would like to be the first to congratulate our
Retail Academy graduates and I wish them the best of success for
the future."