National Skills Summit

National Skills Summit
Innovative Initiatives: Retail

National Retail Federation, Kravco Company, American Express Foundation, and The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Retail Skills Center at King of Prussia

The Challenge:

To raise the level of skills and opportunities associated with retail and related careers.

The Solution:

Create a model training center to teach employees portable retail skills that meet the needs of employers in the industry.

The Partners:

National Retail Federation, through the NRF Foundation, operates the Retail Skills Center.

Kravco Company manages the King of Prussia mall and provides space for the Retail Skills Center.

American Express Foundation and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided initial financial support for the Retail Skills Center.

The Story:

In April, 1999, Teasha Maddox was riding the bus on her way to an interview in King of Prussia area when she noticed a marketing poster for the Retail Skills Center training program located at the King of Prussia Mall. She scribbled down the telephone number, called the center for information that afternoon, and started her career in retail the following Monday.

As a trainee of the Retail Skills Center, Teasha was taught the many skills necessary for her to achieve success in retail, including job readiness skills and career goal setting. The Retail Skills Center is a prototype for recruiting, training, and certifying professional retail employees across the country. The state-of-the-art education and training facility combines self-paced computerized instruction with workshops, arranged internships, job placements, and mentoring. Training includes instruction in customer service, sales, inventory, personal and store appearance, protecting company assets, and teamwork. Additional training in life skills, such as business ethics and time management, is also provided. The job search is overseen by an employer liaison. There is formal follow-up after two, four, and eight weeks, and then again at six months and one year. The liaison meets with the employee, staff, and supervisor to help find solutions to problems that may occur.

Teasha's first retail job was as a part-time sales associate at Sears. She earned $7 an hour. While working at Sears, she took a seasonal job at The Sharper Image as a commissioned sales associate. Over the three months Teasha worked there, she was the highest grossing sales representative with more than $90,000 in sales.

As Teasha gained on-the-job experience, training, and knowledge, and her responsibilities grew, she came back to the Retail Skills Center for career counseling. Today, she is employed at Nordstom as a full-time commissioned sales associate, generating sales of $200 an hour, receiving full benefits, and has the opportunity to advance to the management track. This fall, she will attend her first retail college course at the Retail Skills Center furthering her career as a retail professional.

There are other unique aspects to the program that help make it such a success. Collaborating partners offer welfare recipients special programs and assistance, including childcare vouchers and public transportation passes.

The King of Prussia Retail Skills Center serves as an incubator and a model for other training facilities around the country. With support from the County of Union and the City of Elizabeth, the Jersey Gardens Retail Skills Center opened in fall 1999. Over 7,000 people came to initial job fairs. Many of these participated in pre-training and are returning to the Center to further their careers. Retail Skills Centers across the country expect to launch national certification in customer service and sales by 2001.

A Model of Innovation:

Retail Skills Centers are an effective way to entice potential employees who are considering jobs in the retail industry, and to improve the qualifications of current employees. Retail Skills Centers provide a one-stop training facility where retailers can access employees and help them continue to develop their skills. Furthermore, assistance with childcare and transportation make careers in retail possible for transitional workers and former welfare recipients.

Contacts:

Kathryn J. Mannes, Manager, Workforce Initiatives
National Retail Federation
Liberty Place, 325 7th Street, NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20004
202-783-7971 (p)
202-737-2849 (f)

Beth Margulis, Program Director Retail Skills
Center at King of Prussia
160 N. Gulph Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406
610-337-7449 (p)
610-337-2320 (f)