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Press Release

BRC backs employer-led approach to skills and training

16 November 2010

The employer driven approach to skills and training described in the Government's new skills strategy - Skills for Sustainable Growth – sets the right tone for future training schemes according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

The report, released by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) today (Tuesday) provides welcome recognition of the excellent work retailers, and other business sectors, do in training their staff. It sets out the Government's intention to: free businesses from the bureaucracy and cost of centralised targets, provide greater recognition and support for in-house training schemes and facilitate closer working between businesses and training providers. These steps will help businesses to ensure training courses deliver the right skills to the right people.

BRC Director of Business and Regulation, Tom Ironside, said: "Businesses know what skills they want and need their staff to possess. Giving them greater influence over the development of training courses will not only help businesses to grow and prosper, it will also ensure employees have the necessary skills to build successful careers. It is right that the Government moves toward a business-led model.

"Even in these tough economic times retailers are creating jobs and helping staff to develop long-term careers. The BRC's Retail Employment Monitor shows that retailers created the equivalent of 12,750 new full-time jobs in the last year. That job creation, and the economic growth which provides it, needs to be nurtured by the Government. Helping retailers to develop well-funded, high-quality training, geared to the needs of their individual businesses is an important step."

A new report appraising the role retailers play in developing their staff and highlighting the varied careers available in the retail sector by been launched by the BRC. "Retail in Society: Britain's Favourite Job" was launched at the BRC's recent Parliamentary Reception.

Notes:

"Skills for Sustainable Growth" was released today by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills. A copy of the strategy document is available from here:
http://www.dodsmonitoring.com/downloads/WMS/WMS_2010/November_16_2010/Skills_for_Sustainable_Growth_Report.pdf
A copy of the British Retail Consortium's "Retail in Society: Britain's Favourite Job" is available from www.brc.org.uk/policymaster04.asp



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