1. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE Danish Commerce & Services Senior consultant Gorm Johansen Reykjavik, April 2006 Education in the danish retail sector

2. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE Agenda  Short introduction to Danish Commerce & Services  Megatrends in Danish retail sector  Brief introduction to educational system  Vocational education and training in the retail sector  Future challenges

3. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE My background & work areas  Senior adviser, educational affairs, business development and retail trends  Work areas  Policymaking and media handling  Vocational education and training ( VET)  Continuing education and training (CET) – adult training  E-learning, e-business and retail trends  Counselling for companies  Educational affairs (VET & CET)  Business development and training (HRM)

4. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE Danish Commerce & Services  6500 members  Represents over 30.000 businesses  38 different trades  Total salary sum +25 billion DKK.  95 employees  www.dhs.dk www.dhs.dk  Leading organisation within retail and service sector  Full-service organisation for members  Vice-President in Eurocommerce  Part in danish government counsel for globalisation  Retail  Wholesale  IT-businesses  Accountants  Attorneys at Law  Temp/Placement  Advertising agencies  Media Agencies  Travel agency  Tourism  Financing Companies  Privately owned hospitals & clinics  Insurance Companies

5. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE Mega trends in danish retail sector  Massive expansion in discount sector – fastest growing retail sector  Retail sector (food) divided into 3 major retailcompanies: DS, COOP & Dagrofa  Fierce competition for skilled labour  Independent non-food stores are integrated in so called voluntary retail chains  Professionalisation of HR and recruitment  Massive changes in traditional trades and skills requirements

6. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE The danish educational system Vocational education & training (VET) Continuing education & training (VET)

7. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE Monitoring of Vocational Education The Ministry of Education The Council of Vocational Education The Department for Vocational Education Trade comittees for Vocational Education College Board Local Vocational College Local Educational Committees

8. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE Trade Committees I  One committee for each individual vocational programme  50/50 representation  Currently appr. 57 trade committes  Appointed for a period of 4 years  Constituted and based on the Act on Vocational Education & Training §§ 37 &38  Make recommendations to the Council of Vocational Education

9. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE Trade Committees II  Approve practical training enterprises  Responsible for issuing certificates of education  Responsible for developing training programmes that satisfy the markets demands  Lay down provisions on the  contents,  structure,  duration and  evaluation of the specific VET programmes in question

10. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE Structure of VET system

11. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE Education in the retail sector within sales  Retail sales assistant  Based on 2-3 years upper secondary school prior to vocational training at vocational college  2 years of vocational training with 8 weeks of integrated school modules  21 profiles (e.g. textile, electronic goods, grocery, hardware)  Shop assistant  1 year of upper secondary school  1 year of vocational training with 4 weeks of integrated school modules

12. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE The 4 currents and learning skills  Based on 4 currents  Customer flow, e.g. personal sale and/or product presentation,  Information flow, e.g. product registration and sales data,  Goods flow, e.g. the handling, ordering and purchasing of goods,  Capital flow, e.g. cashing-up and cash statement  Competence and learning skills are managed by following taxonomy:  Familiar with, or  Competent with assistance, or  Competent without assistance

13. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE The checklist - Flexibility is top priority! Customer flow Compulsory learning Skills – e.g. Customer- Service and guidance, Space management Optional learning skills e.g. – personal sales Sum of points must be 280 in total

14. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE Legislative requirements  Companies must be approved by the trade committee  Educational contract must be signed before beginning of training period  Checklist must be made within 3 months  Naming of persons responsible for training and education

15. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE Advantages and challenges ahead  The VET system’s advantage and purpose is based on it’s flexibility and ability to change in accordance to development in the trade and business development  The good stories  Food assistant – interdisciplinary education – however, very long development period,  Changeability within the profiles – no sector challenge  The bad examples  Bakery and butchery within retail stores – challenging of traditional skill perception  New educational requirements from companies/trades as well as governmental demands

16. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE Political pressure at present  Companies to provide enough training sites  Problem that only 1/3 of approved companies provide training sites  Compared to 1997 there has been a drop in annual education contracts signed of 50%!  However, DH&S survey shows +25% recruitment of students in 2006. This is backed by official surveys.  Future structure in VET system is a system structured in 3 levels and with different practical and theoretical levels of skills

17. DANSK HANDEL & SERVICE Continuing the dialogue… Questions or future counselling Please do not hesitate to Email: gjo@dhs.dkgjo@dhs.dk Phone: +453374600 & +4527207324