On 6th February the Leeds Retail Skills Academy took part in an event to promote Retail Apprenticeships as part of national Apprenticeship Week. The event was held at City Exchange in Leeds City Centre in the heart of one of the major retail developments – Trinity Leeds.

The students from local schools that attended, along with school teachers and family members, were very keen to find out more about Retail and what was involved in an Apprenticeship. Our team were on hand to answer all their questions and each student was encouraged to get involved in some retail display work such as dressing a mannequin and experiencing ‘hands on’ what is involved. One of our current young Retail Apprentices was also on hand to promote the training we offer and the benefits of doing an Apprenticeship.

It was a very positive event; all students went away with a better idea of what Apprenticeships entail, what they need to do to apply for the qualification and how diverse Retail can be, not just as a job but as a career.

Pictures include students; teachers; Hannah Metcalf – Leeds Retail Skills Academy Retail Ambassador; Naomi Hird – Leeds City College Retail Assessor

Rachel, from the Academy, had a holiday in London last week. Whilst there, she visited Mary Portas’s shop high up above Oxford Street in House of Fraser. Mark, who we had seen on the TV programme, Mary Queen of Shops was there and Rachel took the opportunity to have a chat with him. He was getting used to being in the limelight, along with the rest of the team. It was a great shopping experience. You can find out more about the Mary Portas Master Classes we offer through the Academy here.

We are holding two WorldHost™ previews in Leeds on 1st November to let people find out more about this Customer Service training. For information about the previews download the WorldHost flyer or to find out more about the training go to the WorldHost page.

Leeds Retail Skills Academy are sponsoring the Retail Assistant category in the Leeds Retail Awards.. which take place on Sunday! The Awards highlight and celebrate the excellent work of our Leeds Retailers. We offer a variety of courses aimed at meeting the training, development and business needs of retailers of all sizes across the Yorkshire and Humberside area – Look at our ‘Programs’ section for more information.

Part of this offer is The Mary Portas Guide to Successful Retailing Master Classes. Suzanne (Academy Manager, pictured left) and Rachel (Academy Administrator, pictured right) met Mary Portas in London last week at a ‘Meet Mary’ event to celebrate the success of the Mary Portas Master Classes across the UK. We can offer retailers all seven of Mary’s Master Classes ranging from Selling and Service Skills through to a Visual Merchandising inspired Class – Creating Desire. We currently have funding where we can offer 50% discount on some of the classes. To find out more look on our Programs Section or contact Rachel on 0113 216 2237.

We would like to wish good luck to all in our sponsored category:

• Chloe McGenn – Life’s Big Canvas
• Faranak Rezaei – Harvey Nichols
• Jared Myland – OK Comics
• Laura Byrne – Shabby Chic
• Oliver Pickles – OK Comics
• Sarah Bentley – Paper Dress Vintage

To find out more visit the Award’s website www.leedsretailawards.com

Selling and Service Skills
Creating Desire
Marketing for more Customers

All Master Classes take place at the Leeds Retail Skills Academy.

Mary Portas Master Classes

A new National Skills Academy for Retail has just been launched at The Store – a Leeds City College outlet in The Plaza Shopping Centre – and is currently one of only 18 such training outlets in the UK.

The ‘Leeds Retail Skills Academy’ was officially opened by Jane Rexworthy, Head of the National Skills Academy for Retail. Jane was joined by Leeds City College staff (who will deliver the retail training), students, stakeholders and employers from the region including Debenhams and Harvey Nichols.

The Academy is part of a Government backed network of training centres designed to increase productivity in the sector. It has been hailed as a key way to help retailers to develop their staff’s potential, improve their performance and prepare for the economic upturn.

Keith Ramsay, Project Manager at the Leeds Retail Skills Academy, said:

“The Leeds Retail Skills Academy – with the help of Leeds City College – will be the home of retail training in Leeds and will work with both employers and individuals in the sector to support them in developing their skills. Employer responsiveness sits at the heart of the skills agenda both for the college and the Academy; addressing the needs and those of their current and future employees is what we are all about.

“The Leeds Retail Skills Academy is especially important for Leeds because there are approximately 25,295 retail businesses in Yorkshire & Humberside, employing 236,849 people or 10% of the total retail workforce in England. Through training, the Academy will in turn help to improve the economic viability of the Leeds city region upon which so much sustainability depends.”

As part of the national network, The Leeds Retail Skills Academy will offer a range of training including a Foundation Degree in Retail, a Diploma in Retail Business, pre-employment courses, Apprenticeships, retail customer service programmes and retail work experience opportunities.

‘Mary Queen of Shops’ dropped into the Leeds Retail Skills Academy to share her words of wisdom about the industry with staff and students.

Mary Portas is arguably the UK’s foremost authority on retail and brand communications and is famously known as ‘Mary Queen of Shops’, following her major BBC 2 television series.

She was in the city as part of Leeds Shopping Week and visited the Store in the Leeds Shopping Plaza, which is the home to the recently launched Leeds Retail Skills Academy.

Mary met with Project Manager Keith Ramsay and Head of the National Skills Academy for Retail Jane Rexworthy before sitting down with store staff and students and tutors from the Diploma in Fashion Retail from Leeds City College Park Lane Campus for an informal chat about the industry.

She talked about her own career before giving the students some valuable advice about their studies and how to get into the industry.

Later that day, Mary and Jane Rexworthy sat alongside one another on the panel at the Business of Retail debate, sponsored by Leeds City College, held at the Corn Exchange which was attended by retail representatives from across the city and the region.

Image captions:
Mary Portas (fourth from right) with Leeds City College retail students outside of The STORE in Leeds Shopping Plaza.