The Lancashire Colleges Consortium

This project provides training for 65 workers in the retail sector, delivering a programme including basic, core and vocational skills and including workplace training/accreditation and the training and support of key workers to assist in this, it includes a special focus on equal opportunity priority groups (including extending learning provision for part-time workers) through:
• Flexibility in provision
• Learning programmes which support progression, including progression to higher level occupations.

The objectives of this project are:
To strengthen the capacity of colleges/training providers to develop new provision for the sector, taking special note of the impact of ICT, the requirement for customer care skills and to take account of basic and ESOL needs in the sector. The LCC will co-ordinate work on this and will:
• By January 2003 produce a progression map and outline sources of learning support/supplementary learning.
• By November 2003 produce a guide to good practice in widening participation in workplace learning in the sector, which will draw on case studies from the pilot work.

To bring together an employer/college/trade union learning network for the sector. An initial meeting of a steering group will be held in October; by December 2003, 20 employers/3 trade unions will have committed themselves to membership of this.

To organise with employers, workforce learning programmes. Whilst these will be customised to particular needs they will all:
• Work with individual employers to identify training needs against business needs and trends.
• Identify and provide training/support for mentors from the workforce.
• Deliver training to individual employees, identifying their needs and structuring a programme to meet these.
• Build through the programme, employer collaboration between the partners which will support a sustainable training solution for the sector.
• To review `learning points' and support the mainstreaming of the practice developed.

This project will provide training/progression opportunities for people working in retail, particularly focusing on:
• Those who do not normally have the opportunity to gain accredited awards
• Part-time workers
• People from equal opportunity priority groups, including where they are combining work with family responsibilities and with basic skills and ESL needs.

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Retail Training Network