Assistant Branch Merchandiser & Space Planner Review

by Matalan

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

6.8/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

Analysis of stock levels & sales performance across Matalan's retail store estate, to ensure effective stock placement, with the aim of maximising full price sales and minimising markdown.

6/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

Built upon some existing SQL & Power BI Knowledge. Learnt some theory around data governance & relevant legislation.

6/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

Overall, I enjoyed the apprenticeship, however I did sometime feel that the content between Online Learns & Live Events was disjointed, and the delivery of the live content was inconsistent.

6/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

I often felt that I received different advice/ instruction from one of my colleagues completing the same course - we had the same DLC, but mostly attended different Live Events. Some of the delivery of the Live Events was very poor - leaving learners in breakout room for long periods, without assistance.

4/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

Employer has been very supportive. I have been able to work on my apprenticeship, and take time out for Live Events, whenever necessary. Also had quarterly catch-ups with HR rep to provide feedback on the programme, which would be passed onto the provider on our behalf.

10/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

EPA readiness checks every 12 weeks, however I felt that these were more of a 'check-box' exercise/ admin requirement than for actual support. I was able to book in for a support call with my DLC whenever needed, and also message via BUD, to which I got very prompt responses.

7/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

Some new SQL & BI Skills gained, which will help with report building & analysis. I have a better awareness of data policies within Matalan, however this does not directly impact my role. I have also gained theoretical knowledge about the Data Analytics Lifecycle & project planning tools (e.g. MoSCoW).

7/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

Yes - always plenty of social events going on through work.

8/10

9a. Would you recommend Matalan to a friend?

9b. Why?

Delivery of some Live Events was erratic & difficult to follow. When asking for help, we were simply given solutions rather than guidance on how to get to the answer. Considering some of the Live Events towards were 5 days long, they didn't feel a productive use of my time.

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Matalan?

Look at the full course content first & check that it is all relevant to your role. I understand that the course is attended by learners from different businesses, so the content needs to cover a variety of subjects, but from speaking to others on Live Events they agreed.