Member News
3rd November 2010
Last night (Tuesday, November 2) the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and all-party retail group (APRG) hosted their annual parliamentary reception to celebrate the vital role that retail plays in creating employment and investing in the training and skills of its staff.
Keynote speeches were made at the event by Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP and Luke Mayhew, BRC chairman.
The well-attended reception, drawing more than 200 parliamentarians, retailers and stakeholders, also saw the launch of the BRC's new publication, Retail in Society: Britain's Favourite Job.
In his remarks to attendees, Luke Mayhew commended retailers both small and large for continuing to create jobs and invest in training and skills despite the difficult economic conditions.
Formally launching Retail in Society: Britain's Favourite Job, Luke Mayhew added that the diversity of the retail sector, its flexible working opportunities and the sector's commitment to helping the long-term unemployed and those with barriers to gaining employment back into work should be more widely recognised.
Mayhew added that "retailers and growth go together", and said that by working with government to reduce the burdens on the sector, retailers can continue to create the private sector jobs needed for the full recovery of the UK economy.
Business secretary Vince Cable addressed attendees, noting the sheer scale and importance of the UK retail sector.
Dr Cable went on to praise the contribution retailers make to skills, refuting the oft-held perception that retail jobs are "low-skilled with limited career opportunities". He noted that several retail chief executives "started on the shop floor and worked their way up to the top job".
He added that the government had to make "tough choices" that he knew would impact on the retail sector, including the VAT rise, but was "committed to supporting retail growth".
After giving his speech, Dr Cable met shopfloor colleagues from several well-known retailers at the reception and discussed their experiences of the sector and the training opportunities they have received.
Retail in Society: Britain's Favourite Job highlights the initiatives employed by a variety of retailers to enhance staff skills and provide training opportunities – from on-the-job training and mentoring right through to apprenticeships and formal qualifications. An EDM (number 941) has also been tabled supporting the launch of the document and retailers’ commitment to training and skills.
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