Skillsmart Retail urges retailers to consider their options for offering ëMcQualificationsí

Skillsmart Retail cautiously welcomed news that companies such as McDonaldís were given awarding body status but urged retailers to consider all of their options if thinking of doing the same.

Skillsmart Retail is currently working alongside the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) on the scheme that gave formal awarding body status to McDonaldís, Flybe and Network Rail yesterday.

Whilst Skillsmart Retail welcomed businesses formalising their training, it believes that retailers should carefully consider a range of options for accrediting in-house training against the national qualifications framework.

Beverley Paddey, Head of Standards and Qualifications for Skillsmart Retail, said: ìEmployers formally recognising their training is an important part of raising skill levels and we welcome any moves to support this.

ìHowever, it is clear that setting up as an awarding body does have serious implications including being open to external scrutiny and we encourage retailers to think about the range of options that are also available.

ìWe have been working very successfully with the QCA and existing awarding bodies on ways for retailers to offer formal qualifications to their staff and this has worked very well for a range of companies including Tesco and Sainsburyís.

ìThere are now a number of choices available to retailers who wish have their in-house training recognised and we would be happy to talk to them about potential solutions.î

Skillsmart Retail is currently working with the QCA on its Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) - an umbrella term that incorporates the plan to award businesses with awarding body status.

Beverley Paddey said: ìAs part of the QCF we are working to create new vocational qualifications equivalent to GCSEs and A Levels and we encourage employers to work with us to continue to map their training against the standards that we have developed.î

Skillsmart Retail research has found that retailers spend 1.8 billion a year training their employees, but much of this is not formally recognised. It encourages companies to offer staff training which is accredited, so that its value is recognised across the sector.

Todayís announcement by the QCA came alongside the launch of a Government scheme, Ready to work, skilled for work, which describes how the Government wants to help employers to meet skills challenges.

It also fits with a wider Government drive to get employers to raise skill levels in an increasingly challenging global economy.

More information on ways in which Skillsmart Retail is working to support the retail industry address this challenge can be found at: