Skillsmart Retail has called on retailers to join it in supporting a national day stressing the importance of vocational qualifications.
Vocational Qualification Day on 23 July highlights the increasing importance and variety of NVQ courses, many of which, it is claimed, are still misunderstood by many employers.
Skillsmart Retail, which is currently working to improve vocational qualifications for the retail industry, called on retailers to use the day to think seriously about how using these qualifications could benefit their businesses.
Anne Seaman, CEO of Skillsmart Retail, said: “There is a large number of staff without qualifications working in retail. Vocational qualifications are a great way of recognising skills acquired through training and rewarding individuals for their achievements.”
Organised by the Edge Foundation, VQ Day has seen the creation of a website where past and present vocational learners can log on and add their name to a list of vocational qualification learners.
Vocational qualifications are held by 17 million people in the UK and a recent poll by YouGov found that compared with people who have degrees, they are half as likely to spend a long time looking for work and 23% more likely to feel ready to work from day one.
Andy Powell, CEO of Edge, said: “Every year millions of people across the country study for and gain a vocational qualification, leading to further vocational study or university, better jobs and enhanced skills.
“However, despite these clear benefits, vocational qualifications sadly do not enjoy the prestige of their more academic counterparts. The launch of VQ Day is just one step in starting to put this right.”
Skillsmart Retail is working with retailers of all sizes to increase the accessibility to vocational qualifications for retail staff through government-backed schemes such as apprenticeships and Train to Gain. It is also reviewing all retail qualifications its Sector Qualifications Strategy for Retail, which will make it much easier for retailers to access qualifications.
More information can be found here.
