Q & A: Grooming students for jobs in retail

Leigh Blochlinger, the MD of Retail Relate, spoke to Margaret Harris

Tell me about the training you offer.

Retail Relate is a South African institution that provides Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) accredited training relevant to the retail sector.

Those who successfully complete our programmes acquire all the knowledge and experience required for middle- management posts in the retail sector.

 Twelve-month NQF 3 courses in basic retail supervisory skills and NQF 5 courses in retail management are offered. Throughout the year of academic training, students also serve internships with major retail chains that have chosen to partner with us.

You have been offering training since 2010. How many people have been trained since then?

We have trained more than 700 previously unemployed youth to launch into careers in the retail industry in the past two years. In August this year, 160 young people formally graduated with Seta-accredited NQF 5 qualifications in retail from our Unemployed Youth Assistance Programme (UYAP).

Each student also interned at one of our retail partners. Our partners are The Essential Hardware Group, AutoZone, Hoxies Foods and TWK.

How many of your graduates find a job after they have completed the training?

As a result of the 12-month internships, the partner stores have the opportunity to observe these students and their performance in the retail environment over an extended period.

Aside from all the other benefits inherent in participating in skills development, this gives these retailers an opportunity to make an informed decision as to whether to employ the interns after graduation.

 It also gives the interns an opportunity to prove their competency and passion for the retail environment. Approximately 70.5% of the UYAP learners have been offered full-time employment and the latest statistics show that 58% have accepted these offers and 20% want to continue their studies.

How have retailers responded to the graduates in your programme?

Retailers, particularly those that have provided internships for the students, have wasted no time in taking the opportunity to employ the students after graduation. Most graduates of the UYAP have been offered a job.

 The number of retailers choosing to partner with us has grown over the past two years.

Who would be your typical student?

Candidates for training are selected on the grounds that they have passed matric or qualified academically for tertiary training but have been prevented from enrolling in courses due to financial constraints. In line with our vision of empowering the youth of South Africa, candidates must be between the ages of 18 and 25.

 Many of the students come from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds where they have not had access to even the most basic of modern amenities, let alone become accustomed to corporate environments or experienced the level of professionalism and customer service required in the formal retail sector.

However, the team carefully searches for "diamonds in the dust" - young people who show a keen interest in building a better future for themselves and who have a determination to succeed.