Successful Strategies for Retail Sector Initiatives NNSP Conference, November 2007
PRESENTERS � John Halpin, Deputy Director JVS � Patrick Mitchell, Program Manager Mission Hiring Hall � Kim McKeon, Director, HR Divisional Support, Macy’s West
WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES � Outline key components and challenges of a collaborative retail workforce development system � Provide research and best practices for career advancement � Identify strategies for engaging employers and other stakeholders
VISION � To establish a system for residents in San Francisco with barriers to employment to fill the majority of new jobs in the retail sector, and to provide them the skills and support to retain and advance in their jobs and achieve self-sufficiency
CONTEXT � Alignment with San Francisco’s economic strategy � Retail is projected to be the fastest growing industry in San Francisco � Adding 7,800 jobs from 2002-2012 � Within the retail sector, wages increase along with skills and education, and differentiate between big box and high end stores/product lines
Stakeholders Employers, Job Seekers and Intermediaries
Employer Challenges and Best Practices � Recruitment � Retention/turnover � Quality of workforce � Training standards � Uncertain hiring needs (e.g., holiday jobs) � Promoting Career Ladders � Engaging community resources
Employee/Job Seeker Challenges � Living wages � Benefits � Consistent hours � Pathways to self-sufficiency � Opportunities for training, overcoming barriers
Current Retail Training Landscape in SF � Mission Hiring Hall/SOMEC � JVS � Goodwill � City College � Other CBO’s � Organized Labor
Challenges in the Current Workforce Development System � Lack of a comprehensive, coordinated system to respond to employer and workforce challenges � Fragmented employer engagement � Duplicate client outreach and services � Limited assessment and training standards � Limited effort on career advancement � Limited collaboration � Limited funding � Shifts in labor market
Other Training Models/Best Practices � JEVS Retail Skills Center � King of Prussia, PA � Providence Skills Center � Providence, RI � Priority Retail Resource Center � San Marcos, TX � Institute for Sales and Service Excellence � Palm Desert, CA � Customer Service Learning Center � Culver City, CA
Creating a Retail Training System Goals and Key Components
GOALS FOR A RETAIL TRAINING SYSTEM � Place 500 people (with barriers to employment) in new retail jobs per year � Help 100 low-wage incumbent workers per year advance in retail or across sectors
Retail Sector System Model � Embrace City’s economic strategy � Coordinate and “steer” public/private workforce services � Employer-based and streamlined system � Address skills gap and workforce quality � Improve career advancement and sector jobs
Key Components � Outreach to job seekers, CBOs and collaborative partners � Coordinated employer engagement � Marketing � Contact management � Commitments to the system (e.g., on-the-job training, stable work schedules) � System of coordinated referrals
Key Components (cont.) � Standardized assessment tools addressing employment barriers � Basic skills � Job readiness skills � Soft skills � Vocational skills � Coordinated tracking and case management of participants within and outside of the system
Key Components (cont.) � Skills Training: Classroom and Experience Based � Customer Service � Retail Sales � Retail Management � Logistics � Custodial � Clerical � Security
Key Components (cont.) � Career Advancement � Career ladder research (within & across sectors) � Career advising � Skills training
Retail Sales Career Ladder Store Manager Assistant Manager Level 3 - Management Training and/or Department Manager 4-year degree Retail Sales Product Specific Sales Level 2 – Short- to moderate- Commissioned Sales term On-the-Job Training Team Leader Retail Sales Counter and Associate Level 1 - Customer Service Skills Cashier Rental Clerk Team Member and/or High School Diploma Seasonal San Francisco County - Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. - 8/07 San Francisco County – Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. - 8/07
Inter Sector Career Ladder Zone 3 Social/Human Bookkeeping & Hotel Manager Services Administrative Medical Assistants Accounting Retail Managers Assistants Assistants Clerks Work experience Moderate OJT Moderate OJT Moderate OJT Medical Retail Buyers Transcriptionists Post-secondary vocational Work experience Zone 2 Retail Sales 2 Desk Clerks Reception & Home Health Office Clerks Info Clerks Aides Short-term OJT Short-term OJT Short-term OJT Short-term OJT Short-term OJT CS Reps Tellers Nurse Aides Moderate OJT Short-term OJT Post-secondary vocational Zone 1 Food Concession Janitors & Mail Clerks Stock Clerks Cashiers Retail Sales 1 Coffee Shop Short-term OJT Food Preparation Baggage & Valet Short-term OJT Short-term OJT Short-term OJT San Francisco County – Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. - 8/07
Key Components - Employer Engagement � Focus Groups – Curriculum Development � Advisory Boards � Employer Participation in Program � Guest Speakers/Panels � Field Trips � Hiring Events
Tools for Employer Relationship Management � CRM Database � “How To” Guides, Scripts and FAQ’s � Employer Engagement Model and Workplan
JVS EMPLOYER PARTNERSHIP MODEL Objective: To Improve the Caliber of Job Applicants, Increase Employee Skills and Raise Retention through Partnerships with JVS – Resulting in Increased Financial Self-Sufficiency for JVS clients Level I Level II Level III Level IV Level V • Hyatt Regency • Borders • Microsoft • Safeway • Wells Fargo Employer • Mills Peninsula • Chinese Hospital • On Lok Senior Svcs • Laguna Honda • Macy’s Examples Early stage of relationship. Some relationship is Greater and more Strong relationship Long-standing Description of Just establishing a established. Employer regular involvement in with JVS; reliance on relationship with JVS, Program knowledge of JVS programs may have participated JVS programs, JVS for training and supporter of JVS Engagement and services and defining in one or two events, collaboration in new recruitment; collab- clients and programs. relevance to employer come for a tour, hired program oration in program Established hiring needs. once, etc. development; JVS is development; JVS relationship, becoming a resource incorporates employer consistent input in in hiring and training feedback re: recruit- program design, some ment practices, etc. financial support. • Jobs online Preceding activities, & Preceding activities, Preceding activities, & Preceding activities, & Examples of & • Hiring JVS candidates • Refer employees/job • Refer instructors to • Customized training Activities seekers to JVS services • Speakers/presenta- JVS programs for specific hard-to-fill tions at JVS events positions • Participate in JVS job • Recruiter presenta- fairs • Internships or job tions to JVS staff • Retention services shadowing and career coaching • Nominate JVS hires • Letters of support for for new hires and your for Strictly Business • Informational & grant proposals employees Employee of the Year mock Interviews • Clinical rotations Award • Onsite training for • Focus groups your employees • Advisory Board • Increase quality and • Increase community • Opportunity to pre- • Candidates trained • Reduced in-house Benefit to pipeline of job candidates visibility of your screen job candidates to your specifications training cost Employer organization • Input into new • Increased JVS • Improved retention • Refer employees to training programs responsiveness to in your facility JVS training programs recruiter needs • Increased aware- • Ability to provide • Strengthen career ness of successful • More opportunities staff onsite training in advancement workforce models to observe potential needed skills opportunities through Adv. Bd and candidates focus groups • Access to leveraged funding for training Common Increase quality and pipeline of job candidates Increase visibility of your organization in the community Benefits
Financing Models � Community Development Tax Increment Financing � Advocacy for Sector-Based Funding � Employer Support � Other
Conclusions and Recommendations � Conduct additional research around customer service skills – innate or trainable? � Develop curriculum for career ladder progression with industry organizations � Advocacy for changes in employment structure and hiring � Market retail as a career track job � Outreach to retail unions to develop relationships around shared goals
Questions?
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