Tue, 7 May 2013Retailer John Lewis has announced plans to introduce the ‘University of John Lewis’ offering further internal vocational qualifications to all staff.

This sees a pilot Level 6 vocational qualification, equivalent to an honours degree, being developed by the end of the year. This is in addition to 2,160 staff at the firm, known as ‘partners’, who already applied for a vocational qualification in 2012.

Laura Whyte, the company’s personnel director, says: “There is an old-fashioned view that retail doesn’t offer people long-term career opportunities, but that is just no longer the case.

“Our partners give us our competitive edge, and if we want them to stay with us for the long-term, we need to make sure that they have the right skills to meet the challenges we face in an evolving retail environment.

The retailer also says the move builds on its “ambition to professionalise the retail sector and provide its workforce with the skills they need to progress and stay competitive in the ever-changing retail environment”.

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