Analysis: Retailers and shopping centres join forces for new apprenticeship

Primark, Hammerson, the National Skills Academy (NSA) for Retail and the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC) have joined forces to create a new apprenticeship that spans retail and property management.

The scheme, called Retail Path, is designed to provide school leavers with a career route into retail that also encompasses the property side of the business.

As Primark property director Tom Meager says: “There’s a whole industry behind retail that provides [job] opportunities. This is the first time major retailers and landlords have come together to develop a course that shows people every aspect.

“The link between retail and property has never been stronger, and the multichannel world has brought them closer together.”

Six shopping centres have signed up to the pilot, which will start in September, including Hammerson’s Highcross shopping centre in Leicester. Primark is the first large retailer to sign up.

Hammerson chief executive David Atkins says: “The industry feels so passionately about this issue. We’ve got over one million young people not employed. This pilot scheme is our first step in doing something about it. We see no reason why pretty much every shopping centre in the UK couldn’t organise a similar scheme. We want to give young people a clear career path.”

Retail and property

The apprenticeship will devote equal time to retail and property management and the placements are a year long. The content of the apprenticeship has been designed and co-ordinated by the NSA for Retail, which will also help recruit the applicants.

Neil Moss, head of business solutions at the NSA for Retail, says: “A lot of work has been done to improve perceptions of retail and this continues that. NSA skills shops will support each of the six centres. It will identify people who can join and then deliver the programme. The programme creates an opportunity to work with national retailers and also give exposure to how major shopping centres work.”

The aim is to provide a route into retail and to improve the standing of the industry in young people’s eyes.

Atkins says: “Retail is misunderstood. Young people drop into it and move on to other things.”

He adds that the link between retailers and landlords has become closer. “The relationship has improved dramatically over the last five to 10 years. Through the downturn we have had to mobilise ourselves and work together more closely.”

The benefit of this programme to young people, Atkins says, is gaining knowledge about the wider retail industry. “Here we have young people coming at the start of their careers and gaining a broad understanding of what it’s like to work in retail and shopping centre management. Having an understanding of both sides is really important.”

“It’s something all retailers should be getting behind”

Tom Meager, property director, Primark

Meager says that teenagers such his son, who is currently taking exams at school, don’t appreciate the opportunities available. “My son doesn’t understand what we do – he doesn’t understand how the shopping centre is run. This gets young people to understand a little bit of everything. They get to decide whether it’s for them.”

The apprenticeship is designed to attract and support ambitious people who could develop their careers in their industry, and who could potentially take up management roles in the future. Atkins says: “It’s aimed at leading to a career in retail. There’s no reason every one of the apprentices can’t step into a job. The people involved will get on very quickly if they want to.”

Meager adds the aim is to change misconceptions about shopping centres. “Young people think shopping centres just switch the lights on, and the whole point is to show them a wider perception of what is required. We are teaching them business skills.”

John Browning, Retail Path project manager, says there will be a wide range of skills taught. The apprenticeship will encompass stock management in-store, the IT systems of the retailer, ordering products and the logistics of how that works, visual merchandising and display, and profit and loss.

Community connection

On the property management side, the areas covered will include systems and administration, finance, maintenance, marketing, PR and social media. Browning adds: “The exposure to senior people will be invaluable.”

Peter Drummond, chairman of Retail Path and southern chairman of BDP, architects and engineers, comments: “Retail Path was conceived as a charitable venture to help young people into a rewarding career in retail and retail property at a time of high youth unemployment. The BCSC Educational Trust wanted to find a unique way to support this objective from the grass roots up, promoting the value of a career in retail, whilst making the most of the strong relationship between retailers and landlords.

“Retailers will identify and capture the best talent local to each Pilot project, with the flexibility to create a programme that matches their needs. Apprentices will get access to the country’s finest retailers and shopping centres, and the opportunities thereafter are limitless.”

Meager adds the scheme also helps retailers foster more links with the local community, and enables them to give something back. He says: “What we get out of it is giving something back – it seems the right thing to do. It’s something all retailers should be getting behind.

“A lot of retailers recognise they need to attract more young people and there needs to be more routes for them. Some are reluctant to take on school leavers, and the purpose of this scheme is to prepare young people.”

Also, he says, the type of candidate the scheme will attract will bring a different outlook to the business.

“Most entry-level retail jobs are very targeted and focused, and we want to broaden that and offer different routes with different outcomes. From the outset we are attracting people with a wider spectrum.”

BCSC chief executive Michael Green adds: “Everyone has people who helped them out early in their career. If you can help a youngster do well, that’s fantastic.”