For a number of years the college has formed a partnership with a charity called Animals in Distress.

The partnership allows the students to work at the charity’s shop so that they can develop the skills that will enable them to work in this setting and similar settings in the future.

All first years will undertake Retail as part of their ‘Vocational Tasters’. The course has also been offered to second and third years who have identified Retail as a preferred vocational route.

At the end of each term the students return to the classroom to discuss how they performed at the placement and how they could improve upon this performance.

Overview:
The College has a partnership with the charity Animals in Distress. Through this partnership the College’s students attend work placements at the Charity’s warehouse & shop, where they undertake a variety of retail based tasks.

Objectives:

• To develop general and specific employability skills.

• To develop vocational skills in retail.

Anticipated Outcomes

• The students will improve their ability to demonstrate a number of key general employability skills.

• The students will improve their ability to demonstrate a number of specific employability skills.

• The students will improve their ability to demonstrate a number of key vocational skills in retail.

Embedded Functional Skills

• The member of staff identifies which of the student’s SMART targets can be addressed during the session and embeds them as appropriate within the session.

Equality and Diversity and Every Child Matters

• Access to the course is open to all students who attend Oakwood Court College, providing their behaviour does not impinge on their/colleagues health and safety.

• The course is able to meet 20 of the 28 descriptors outlined within the Every Child Matters strategy.

Accreditation:

• Low to mid level students work towards objectives set by the College (in-house accreditation).

• Higher level students work towards attaining a Level 1 or 2 NVQ in Retail (City and Guilds).

Detail:

• In-house accreditation focuses on employability skills, which generally fall under the following sub headings:

  • Punctuality.

  • Appearance.

  • Attitude to work.

  • Effort.

  • Behaviour.

  • Communication skills.

  • Awareness of health and safety.

  • Relations with colleagues.

  • Independence.

  • Work rate.
    

• In-house accreditation focuses on vocational skills, which generally fall under the following sub headings:

  • Maintain health and safety.

  • Sort and quality assure donations

  • Put goods into storage.

  • Preparing goods for sale.
    

• External accreditation: NVQ 1 in Retail:

  • Move goods and materials manually in a retail environment.

  • Keep stock at required levels in a retail environment.

  • Process donated goods for resale or recycling in a retail environment.

  • Wrap and pack goods for customers in a retail environment.

  • Help to keep the retail unit secure

  • Help to maintain health and safety in a retail environment.

  • Work effectively in your retail team

  • Keep the retail environment clean and hygienic
    

• External accreditation: NVQ 2 in Retail:

  • Put goods and materials into storage in a retail environment.

  • Keep stock on sale at required levels in a retail environment.

  • Prepare products for sale to customers in a retail environment.

  • Display stock to promote sales to customers in a retail environment.

  • Process payments for purchases in a retail environment.

  • Give customers a positive impression of yourself and your organisation

  • Resolve customer service problems

  • Help to maintain healthy and safety in a retail environment

  • Help to keep the retail unit secure

  • Work effectively in your retail team