Heathrow Airport Retail Academy delivers apprenticeships to over 90 apprentices who work within their 5,335 strong workforce. Their apprenticeship achievement rate for 05/06 was 71%.
Karima Sakhi, Retail Academy manager explains: “Apprenticeships help on all fronts: they aid recruitment by making a career in airport retail more attractive; a total of 44 retail employers have apprentices on our programme. They improve retention as learners feel valued and optimistic about their career prospects; and they develop the skills that airport employers need.”
Karima continues: “Like many companies, Heathrow has a long-established and highly effective Apprenticeship programme for its staff. But we also manage Apprenticeships on behalf of other employers through our Retail Academy. As all Apprenticeships are delivered on site this minimises disruption for retailers and staff.”
David Boyer, partnership manager at the London West Learning and Skills Council says: “Heathrow’s Retail Academy is a genuinely innovative programme exemplifying the underlying principles of today’s Apprenticeships. It is supported by a growing number of the airport’s retail employers, who see the results in their employees’ quality of service.”
Heathrow Airport Retail Academy manages Apprenticeships under a Learning and Skills Council (LSC) contract, who works with Heathrow’s retailers to recruit learners, and oversee the quality of provision against an SLA with their sub-contracted provider, VT Training.
Heathrow Airport Retail Academy Apprenticeships have been developed to meet clear business needs. In 2004, the Retail Academy identified that recruitment, retention and skills were key issues for airport retailers, who collectively employ more than 5,000 staff – with a further 2,500 staff required once Terminal 5 opens in 2008.
Apprenticeships have also allowed Heathrow Airport Retail Academy to demonstrate their commitment to their stakeholders and to develop a more constructive relationship with airport retailers.
Other initiatives such as the Heathrow Centre of Vocational Excellence, HAL’s Train to Gain contract and the Aviation Academy could not have been achieved without the Retail Academy’s experience of delivering Apprenticeships to its retail partners.
Heathrow Airport Retail Academy is a finalist in the Large Employer of the Year category at the national Apprenticeship Awards 2007.
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