ACS

On Thursday 10th September Skillsmart Retail, the National Employer Service and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority are jointly hosting an employer event titled “Improving Business Performance through Skills” at Grosvenor House, London between 2 – 5pm.

The event will focus on improving business performance through skills. Some of the guest speakers will include Ian Cheshire, Group CEO, Kingfisher, Theo Paphitis, Owner, Ryman, Sue Round, Head of Learning and Development, Sainsburys and Hayley Tatum, UK Operations Personnel Director, Tesco.

The conference will address two themes:

* The flexibility and easy access which allows retailers to deliver qualifications on a ‘business as
usual basis’, simply and effectively and the impact it is having
- Developing an in house programme with support from the NES and Skillsmart Retail
- Using the National Skills Academy for Retail and the chain of skills shops

* The support tools retailers use to tackle business issues which result in better business performance from recruitment to management development
- Developing an in house qualification
- Management development through foundation degrees
- Getting people into your business effectively through Retail Works

This will be the first time that the UK’s largest retailers will have the chance to hear first hand
experiences from some of the Retailers who are using the skills system and the impact it is having on
their business

The conference will be hosted by Skillsmart Retail and the National Employer Service, with support
from QCA, Job Centre Plus and Foundation Degree Forward, the first time these stakeholders will have
worked together in this way.

The purpose of the event is to hear first hand from retailers about their experiences of working with the new, simplified retail qualifications and how this has helped to improve their business performance. The event starts with lunch at 1pm. If you are interested in attending please contact Sairina Ramakrishnan on sairina@skillsmartretail.com or 0207 462 5060.