Leading supermarket and retail employers including Asda, JD Sports, Lidl and Co-op have collaborated with People 1st International to shape a new set of National Occupational Standards (NOS) that reflect the skills and competencies needed in today’s retail landscape.

NOS set the standard for skills across UK job roles. Built by industry, for industry, they’re crucial for the development and design of retail sector apprenticeships, qualifications and training.

Vicky Yearsley is the lead for NOS at The Workforce Development Trust (the parent organisation of People 1st International) and explains how the skills project helps support growth in the sector.

“The retail sector is changing at lightening quick speed and employers need the workforce tools and resources to be able to adapt and grow in order to capture the opportunities opening up to them. NOS provides a platform to do just that by enabling the development of sustainable and rewarding career pathways and training provision to support long-term business growth.

“With the growth and skills levy starting next year, this timely update of the NOS will also support retailers to make important staffing and training decisions that align with the skills agenda.”

Natalie Evans, Apprenticeships Lead at ASDA, sat on the expert panel to develop the NOS and comments:

“Whether behind the scenes or interacting with customers, people are at the heart of delivering consistently excellent customer experiences.

“It is crucial then that the sector has a framework to benchmark and plan for their future skills requirements as they anticipate and adapt to changes in the macro-environment and customer needs.
“The updated NOS are key to ensuring retail sector employees have the necessary skillsets to flourish professionally and drive business growth, both now and into the future.”