Trying to stem high turnover in store jobs, nonprofit groups and chains such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot and the Home Shopping Network are launching a program to help people develop the skills to land entry-level jobs and advance in a retail career.
As more people shop online, stores say they need workers who come in with more knowledge and can offer better service. The training and credential program, led by the nonprofit arm of the National Retail Federation trade group, includes sales and inventory basics, dealing with customers, how to use technology like kiosks and more.
“The skill gap is a huge challenge in America broadly,” said Ellen Davis, a senior vice president at the trade group and executive director of the NRF Foundation. “Talent is a significant challenge in retail at all levels.”
More than 20 major retailers including Neiman Marcus and Ashley Stewart have pledged general support for the Rise Up program being launched Sunday. It is part of a broader credential plan that would help workers move up that may include training for store supervisors and in specific areas like retail analytics.
32 percent of all first jobs in the US are in retail, the trade group says, and stores overall have more job openings now than they did a few years ago. Rising wages have increased competition for workers as people take better-paying jobs.
The average hourly pay for cashiers and low-level retail sales staff is $9.26, according to a recent Hay Group study — a level labor groups say still is not enough to live on. The retail industry says store jobs can be a starting point toward bigger things.
In stores, entry-level work is not just about folding clothes and ringing up sales. Beyond making change, the Rise Up program includes how to balance a cash drawer and checking for counterfeit currency. Employees also need to understand how stores and online sites work together, use up-to-date handhelds to check inventory, and solve customer-service issues.

Source: Arab News