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Our Bureau

To meet the need for trained people

Mumbai , Nov. 20

Facing the need for trained personnel for retail sales and customer services, retailers have appealed to the Ministry of Labour and Employment to include retail sales and customer service assistants under the Apprenticeship Training Scheme of The Apprentices Act.

The Retail Association of India (RAI) has expressed its willingness to the Directorate-General of Employment & Training (DGE&T) to work on the required syllabus for the candidates. "Modern retailing is growing in India. There is currently a huge gap between the demand and supply of manpower, with a requirement of over 2 million retail sales and service personnel in the next two years. The current supply of trained manpower is very negligible. There is an impending need to train people manning the retail industry," said Mr Gibson G. Vedamani, CEO, RAI.

The inclusion of retail sales and customer service assistants under the apprenticeship training scheme (ATS) will go a long way to help more people equip themselves to find jobs and on the other hand, meet the manpower need of the retail sector, Mr Vedamani added.

The Apprenticeship Act of 1961 should include modern retailing in the trade list and consider training of apprentices for the retail industry, the association said. RAI has suggested the training module to encapsulate basic soft skills training and practical retail training with related instructions alongside the prescribed syllabus.

"The inclusion of retail in theATS will equip staff with adequate retailing skills. It will also help many to take up entry-level positions in the emerging retail sector in India," according to Mr Upamanyu Bhattacharya, CEO, TruMart (Piramyd Retail).

More Stories on : Human Resources | Labour Reforms | Retailing

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