nickshanagher

On the one hand, the government wants small retailers to take on young people as apprentices, with details of a £1,500 support package due any time now from Skillsmart Retail. On the other, different retailers have different priorities. For a supermarket like Tesco, with 3,000 places on its in-house apprenticeship scheme, it is about developing its people and building team spirit in its stores. It's oldest apprentice is 67, says UK personnel director Judith Nelson. For a discounter like Aldi, it is a great way of attracting talented people to join its company with the promise of becoming managers in the future. "There are people who want a career in retail," says finance director Matthew Speight. For an independent c-store operator like Rav Garcha, it is a way to build the self-esteem of his team and to get his staff delivering on their mission to make "a difference locally". Unlike education that is designed to get a class of students to a median level, t...

My company runs an annual programme for independent retailers called the Independent Achievers Academy (IAA) that encourages them to do a better job for their customers. Last week, we launched the 2010 version by asking last year's top retailer Rav Garcha to speak to a group of shopkeepers and supportive suppliers. I made a note of his thoughts and I think it is useful to share them with you. I am part of a family business that my father set up in 1982 when he bought a small off licence. The Independent Achievers Academy has helped me and my staff to think about how we can achieve more. After college I worked as a financial advisor but I came back into the family business because I wanted to create something for myself. As an independent our first challenge is how we get a customer who is passing by to come into the shop. We started off by thinking about our window and displays. I started working in our second shop, working from 6am to 9pm, seven days a week. Our first Christmas w...