John Lewis commits to Skillsmart Retail’s pre-employment course

John Lewis has signed up to SSC Skillsmart Retail’s pre-employment programme, offering successful participants job interviews at its existing or new stores, vacancies permitting.

For its planned store in Stratford, London, the company has earmarked 400 assessment centre sessions for candidates who pass the Skillsmart Retail Works training course. John Lewis expects to create around 2200 new jobs in the UK this year.

The course, which involves more than 30 hours of retail training, was rolled out nationwide in January 2009. Since then, more than 20,000 people have enrolled to learn the tools required to succeed in the sector, including product knowledge, effective selling skills, customer service techniques and health and safety.

An independent study conducted in 2010 found that 53 per cent of Retail Works candidates found employment because of the knowledge learnt on the programme.

Anne Seaman, chief executive of Skillsmart Retail, said: “It can be very frustrating for people trying to get a job in retail if they have no previous experience, because recruiters often disregard them and it becomes a catch-22 situation. Retail Works is a fantastic route into retail.

“It demonstrates to retailers that a person has the knowledge base and passion to work in retail and gives the individual confidence in interviews and at work.”

Jane Beine, head of partner development at John Lewis, said: “Our partners are at the centre of our organisation. They are hugely important to the business and their passion for retail is essential.

“We are delighted to be able to use the Skillsmart Retail Works programme to help us recruit for our new branch in Stratford. Helping people back into work and onto a career path in retail with John Lewis is very exciting and forms part of the personnel divisional strategy.”

Susannah Fairbairn