Futurestore Launched At Broadmarsh

FUTURESTORE LAUNCHED AT BROADMARSH

Dozens of the city's top retailers and stakeholders gathered at Westfield's Broadmarsh shopping centre today to celebrate the launch of Futurestore - the new retail skills shop designed to reduce unemployment in Nottingham by increasing the skills base and providing the essential bridge between retailers and employees, together with offering tailored customer service programmes (including Apprenticeships) to local retailers to help up-skill their employees.

Futurestore aims to train local people for a career in retail, working with retailers throughout the city to place successful trainees of the scheme into retail jobs once they've qualified. By increasing the skills base throughout Nottingham, Futurestore will play a key role in reducing unemployment across the city.

Another priority is to work with employers across the county to identify skills shortages in the workplace and provide tailored training for their existing employees in the workplace, to help improve customer service and reduce labour turnover. The initiative is a collaboration between Westfield, Nottingham City Council, the National Skills Academy for Retail and New Collage Nottingham plus other partners from across
the city*.

Located in Westfield's Broadmarsh shopping centre, Futurestore offers students training within a genuine retail environment. As the largest industry in the UK, retail is a key provider of private sector jobs and this initiative will offer local people, particularly those who are currently unemployed, the opportunity to grow their skills base and have greater access to the retail jobs available in the city.

Councillor Ahmed, Portfolio Holder for Employment and Skills at Nottingham City Council, said: "We are delighted to be working with Westfield on such an important project which will provide essential skills and jobs training at a time when it is most needed.

Matthew Slade, Centre Manager at Westfield's Broadmarsh and Chair of Futurestore, said: "We are pleased to be launching Futurestore today and have been very encouraged by the high level of interest and support we have had from retailers in the city to date. The initiative acts as a vital link between jobseekers and retailers looking to employ trained individuals in Nottingham. The city remains a top ten choice for retailers and we have recently announced plans to reconfigure the Broadmarsh to attract further new retailers to the city and we Futurestore will play a key role in meeting the employment needs of retailers throughout the city."

Vicky Corder, Learning and Development Coach, John Lewis Nottingham, said: "We have great links with New College Nottingham and have always found the process and quality of their training to be excellent. One of our most promising Partners (staff) at our Nottingham shop was recruited from the college and we regularly offer work placements to its students. As a company, John Lewis fully supports the national skills academy for retail and the investment in retail skills training centres, not only at board level, but importantly, at a local level too. It's vital to continually strive to up-skill and professionalise the retail sector, and the launch of Futurestore will help to develop the next generation of retailers in the local area."

Cathie Young, Futurestore Manager, said: "Local retailers tell us that Apprenticeships work for them as they allow their employees to gain relevant skills and knowledge in their place of work, whilst building their confidence."

About Futurestore

Future store will provide skills programmes; career and pre-employment training; store management programmes; essential training courses; business support and training for independent retailers and enable a forum for retailers and employees to share best practice. The facility will also offer the opportunity to run fundable programmes such as the National Skill's Academy's "Train to Gain" initiative.
* Partners
‐ Broxtowe Borough Council,
‐ British Land [Giltbrook Retail Park]
‐ Capital Shopping Centres [The Victoria Centre],
‐ Castle College
‐ Connexions Nottinghamshire
‐ Guidelines Careers
‐ Jobcentre Plus
‐ Learning and Skills Council
‐ Making the Connection
‐ The National Skills Academy for Retail
‐ New College Nottingham
‐ Nottingham City Council
‐ Nottinghamshire County Council
‐ Nottinghamshire Training Network
‐ Remploy
‐ South Nottingham College
‐ Voluntary Sector Providers
‐ Westfield [Broadmarsh Shopping Centre]
‐ Working Links

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