20th September 2024, Dublin: Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Emer Higgins, has today joined JA Europe, Skillnet Ireland and JA Malta to champion the Skills4Retail programme, which aims to address the urgent and emerging skills needs of the retail sector in Malta, Ireland and across Europe.
The Skills4Retail initiative, funded by the European Commission, aims to drive the ‘Triple Transition’ — green, digital, and resilience — by providing tailored vocational education and training (VET) programmes for new and existing retail employees. By equipping the workforce with future-ready skills, the programme aims to foster sustainable growth and innovation across Europe’s retail industry.
Highlighting the importance of the Skills4Retail programme, Minister Higgins, said: “The future of Irish retail is digital, green, and resilient, and it’s crucial that we prepare our workforce to thrive in this rapidly changing landscape. The Skills4Retail programme will play a vital role by equipping businesses operating in the sector with the knowledge and skills needed to adapt to evolving market trends, shifting consumer demands, sustainable practices and technological innovations.”
Diana Filip, Deputy CEO and Chief Development Officer, at JA Europe, said: “I am honoured to be in Ireland for this significant meeting. The idea to put together the Skills4Retail consortium originated here, and it is inspiring to see the tremendous momentum this initiative has gained. Having Minister Emer Higgins championing this cause here in Ireland underscores the impactful progress we have made in upskilling the retail sector and preparing it for the future.”
Mark Jordan, Chief Strategy Officer, Skillnet Ireland, said: “As Ireland’s largest indigenous industry, employing over 300,000 people across every town and village in the country, retail is the cornerstone of the economy. The Skills4Retail programme is committed to ensuring retailers are resilient and equipped with the skills and capabilities needed to embrace the digital and green transitions and remain competitive.”
Skillnet Ireland has led on the design and development of the Skills4Retail curriculum in partnership with Retail Ireland. The four-year project focuses on developing new talent for the sector through work-based learning, short-term modular courses, and training programmes in Higher Education Institutions. The programme enables retailers to upskill and reskill, in areas such as digital marketing, customer experience management, supply chain optimisation, and sustainable retail practices.
JA Malta in its turn has been actively disseminating this project across its wide network of partners and stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in fostering growth and innovation within the retail sector. The organisation invites retailers, educational institutions, and key stakeholders to join this impactful initiative by signing the pledge, thereby committing to a shared vision of enhancing skills and competencies in the industry. Junior Achievement Malta extends a heartfelt thanks to the current signatories—IDEA College, Bigbon Group, Costa Coffee, Cheap Trolley, and Greta Rapinett, for their support and commitment.
Skills4Retail is led by a Consortium of 30 partners from nine EU countries and coordinated by JA Europe, uniting Europe’s top educational institutions, industry leaders, and service providers. Together, they are developing a new Retail Skills Strategy to address the sector’s pressing needs. The programme offers a variety of flexible learning options, including short-term modular courses and work-based learning, available in Ireland, Austria, Romania, and Hungary.
Minister Higgins met key consortium stakeholders from higher education, industry and training at Leinster House on Thursday 19th September, to discuss how the Skills4Retail programme aims to address critical skills gaps in the retail and wholesale sectors all over Europe. The Skills4Retail Consortium is welcoming Irish retailers and businesses to support the Skills4Retail project and its mission to upskill the retail workforce. Companies are encouraged to take advantage of the programme’s training opportunities to ensure their teams are equipped for the future of retail.
For more information and to sign up, please visit www.skills4retail.eu.
About JA Malta
JA Malta, formerly JAYE Malta, is a member nation of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide representing a global network of non-profit organisations sharing a common mission and purpose to be leaders in the field of enterprise education. JA Malta aims to spur economic development through improving young people’s understanding of business, economics, employability and entrepreneurship. JA Worldwide has been listed as one of the top 10 NGOs by NGO Advisor for the sixth year in a row (2024) and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three years running.
The organisation implements more than 8 programmes annually, catering to diverse age groups ranging from 7 to 30 years old. Through its initiatives, JA Malta engages with over 15 educational institutions and positively impact the lives of more than 2,000 individuals each year.
JA Malta empowers young people by equipping them with the necessary skills for employment and entrepreneurship. All programmes provide participants with real-world work experience and practical knowledge, thereby transforming their attitudes, aspirations, and overall potential for successful careers. Furthermore, JA Malta aims to cultivate financial literacy and enable individuals to thrive economically.
About Skills4Retail
Skills4Retail is an EU-funded project that will lift the retail sector in Europe, which is responsible for 10% of the EU’s economy and includes 3.6 million retailers. The project’s goal is to design a new Retail Skills Strategy and VET training programme that will address the urgent and emerging skills needs of retailers.
The project is aimed at retailers in Europe who need to transform digitally to be competitive into the future. The Skills4Retail Consortium consists of 30 partners from 9 EU countries, including five Irish partners who are all passionate about lifting the retail sector. Post-Covid, with increasing competition from large online retailers from other regions, Europe’s retailers need to become digitally sophisticated and competitive. Additionally, retail is increasingly seen as a career stepping stone and not a destination for a meaningful career.
Skills4Retail aligns with the ‘Triple Transition’ and DG Grow’s transition pathway towards greener, more digital and more resilient retailers. The project’s goal is to design a new Retail Skills Strategy and VET training programme that will address the urgent and emerging skills needs of retailers. The project began in September 2023 and will run for four years. The project is market and industry demand-led with a view to future-proofing workforces and businesses alike.
About: JA Europe
JA Europe is the largest and leading organisation dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed through hands-on, experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial health. In the last school year, the JA Europe network provided 6 million learning experiences for youth in online, in person and blended formats.
To learn more about JA Europe visit https://jaeurope.org/
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