Retail management apprentice Review

On a daily basis during the first year of the programme my role involves learning the sales process and what is expected of a sales colleague. Alongside this I have been given the opportunity to work with members of the management team to discover the processes that need to be done every day. I have also been given to take some of these responsibilities as my own such as working as a team leader in currys.

Over the course of the first year I believe that my presentation skills have been improved upon greatly. Also leadership skills have developed over the year as i was allowed to work as a team leader for 3 months. With this it has also helped develop my organisation and time keeping skills from both uni and management tasks.

As the programme allows us to complete a degree at Sheffield hallam university, this it creates an environment ideal for learning. This I find really enjoyable as it gives us a greater insight to the mechanics behind management and we can see how these skills can be put in to practice in the workplace.

As this is the first year the programme has been run, there were a few bumps or blips that may have seemed a little rushed or not well organised. But, as a whole the programme was relatively well organised. Trips to specific locations that are key to the company while at university were well organised too.

While in store support from the general manager and mentor can be at times limited as they have a store to run alongside helping me. However there are other members of staff that can help with any issues. Support from the programme leaders is very high. Monthly check ins both in store and over the phone help to make sure everything is running smoothly.

As we are only at university for one week stints, there is a great amount of support while at the university. But it does not stop there when away from university if anything is confusing or maybe unclear to me the staff are able to be contact through email or by phone and can offer help that way.

I believe that the training and learning goes hand in hand with the role In store. It is clear to see how as a manager developing colleagues and understanding consumers can help to improve performance in store and for the entire company. The first module gave us the base knowledge needed and this is then built on over the year.

There are road shows that the company can enrol us on. These showcase some of the newest pieces of tech and how they can fulfill customer needs. There are also extra training sessions that can help to improve your own or a teams knowledge and performance. Weekly football games can be enjoyed with members of the team.

Yes

The potential for professional and personal development is huge. This was one of the huge reasons the scheme stuck out for me as not only can you improve technology knowledge but it can help with personal networking and communication skills, confidence and team work skills. The atmosphere and general feeling within the company is about unity.

Push yourself and others to get the most out of the job. Aim to make everybody's day a little better, this can make you feel on top of the world and well as giving a stranger the same feeling. Be yourself as many customers and colleagues will appreciate that more than being someone you are not.