In-house retail training schemes are to be overhauled and simplified under a new national scheme.

The Sector Qualifications Strategy for Retail will enable managers to align their own training schemes with national qualifications, meaning that retailers will be able to deliver qualifications or modules towards nationally recognised awards in-house.

The Skillsmart Retail strategy was given the go-ahead by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) this month and hopes to simplify the current complex qualifications system and boost the numbers of employees gaining recognised qualifications that benefit employers.

Beverley Paddey, head of standards and qualifications at Skillsmart Retail, said: "Courses and qualifications that deliver much needed technical knowledge can make a real difference to retail businesses but we know that employers often find it hard to understand what the current 150 retail qualifications deliver.

"Under this new strategy, all retail qualifications will be rationalised into a set of national qualifications with consistent titling, making it more straight forward for employers to help their staff to get transferable qualifications."