Cordners Shoes, who have been trading in Sligo for 30 years, recently celebrated their first FETAC awards for Retail Customer Service.

5 members of staff, Edyta Fliegeir, Michelle Hynes, Patricia Dunleavey, Carmel Belland and Damien Conway, received their FETAC Level 5 Retail Customer Service certificates from Maureen Lavin (IBEC Retail Skillnet Regional Consultant).

Maureen congratulated the staff on their achievement and also commended the assessors, Jill and David Bagnall, who delivered the training programme in-store.

Congratulations are in order for a number of candidates working in Lifestyle Sports branches who have recently completed their Level 5 FETAC Selling Skills module.

Yvonne Quinn, Training and Development Officer, Lifestyle Sports, congratulated all candidates on their latest achievement saying that “The Selling Skills module has increased the level of service within our Lifestyle branches”.

Pictured: Staff from Lifestyle Sports, Dundrum store

Some of the Lifestyle Sports staff at the Dundrum branch commented on their experiences of being involved in the IBEC Retail Skillnet training programme.

Deborah Callaghan stated “I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I think it really helped improve my customer service and dealing with customers in a professional manner”.

Her colleague, John Lenehen, added “Through this experience I have developed some important knowledge that has helped me with servicing and satisfying customer needs”.

William Healey concluded by saying that this was a “great learning experience, it has helped me cement my future in retail. Very worthwhile”.

Brown Thomas have become the first retailer in Ireland to receive Retail Occupational Qualifications through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

10 staff from the Brown Thomas store in Cork participated in an RPL pilot programme in late 2008. They successfully achieved their Level 5 Retail Customer Service Awards in February 2009.

At a special awards ceremony, in the Cork store, they were presented with their awards by Marie Gould, Development Officer, FETAC. Management and staff from Brown Thomas congratulated their colleagues on a great achievement.

Commenting on the experience, staff said that they had thoroughly enjoyed the process and offered their encouragement to all their colleagues wishing to participate in the RPL process in the near future. They concluded by expressing their wish that the company would implement the RPL programme in all Brown Thomas stores across the country.

Pictured: Staff from Brown Thomas, Cork, with Marie Gould, FETAC and Caroline Heagney, IBEC Retail Skillnet

United Drug Plc., Ireland’s leading wholesale distributor of pharmacy products, have been working in conjunction with IBEC Retail Skillnet to promote Occupational Qualifications in the Retail Pharmacy sector in Ireland.

Together we have developed specific training modules, that have been tailored to meet the changing needs in the pharmacy sector.

United Drug representatives, Ann Walsh (Retail Services), Adrienne Morley, Nichola Hosie (Business Development) and Siobhan Heaslip (Profitlines) accompanied United Drug Managing Director Rosemary McGrath, to the first Retail Assessor training session at the CityWest hotel in Dublin on 26th and 27th February.

Pharmacies from Newbridge, Carrick-on-Shannon, Baltinglass, Dunshaughlin, Wicklow, Ferbane, Ballymun and Pearse Street, Dublin were represented at the inaugural training session.

Pictured with Caroline Heagney (IBEC Retail Skillnet Regional Consultant) are United Drug trainees 

United Drug have extended an open invitation to any of the pharmacies in their Network wishing to participate in this new initiative. For those looking for further information or to register for the Retail training programme please contact Ann Walsh on 01 4632545 or contact Caroline Heagney directly on 086 207 8395.