The Guernsey Retail Group is providing funding to allow islanders to improve their skills in retail management.

The new initiative will allow small and medium employers in Guernsey to apply for funding to cover the cost of staff attending a 34-week long course, at the College of Further Education.

Participants can choose to study at Level 2 or 3, and are required to attend eight hours of tuition per week.

The key principles of management, retail efficiency and health and safety, will be covered, benefiting both the businesses and employees who choose to get involved.

Kenny McDonald from The Guernsey Retail Group explains who the scheme is for:

"Any prospective retail business that's got interested colleagues that want to develop and invest in their future, and have got some challenges with funding for that, that's what this scheme is designed to do - to provide that support.

He says this kind of initiative is needed in Guernsey now:

It's well known that there is a skills gap and a headcount gap across the island in most industries.

There are plenty of vacancies in retail and there are also lots of retailers that want to invest further, and want to grow their businesses and open new stores, increasing their headcounts and workers' skills will be vital to enable them to reach those objectives." 

The College of Further Education is hosting a breakfast meeting at the Route du Coutanchez Campus on Thursday 13 October for retail employers and employees to discuss the courses available.