Retail Drinks Australia has launched the online Industry Training Hub, which includes nine non-accredited professional development courses designed to train liquor store owners, managers, and staff in retail fundamentals.
The training hub provides support for independent liquor retailers, in recognition that many of them have minimal infrastructure, resources, and training support in their network. Retail Drinks CEO Michael Waters explained that independent retailers may require added assistance to develop their staff.
“Independent liquor retailers value the importance of having access to cost-effective training yet getting them to allocate the time and resources towards training has always been a challenge.
“With a predominantly casual and temporary workforce, and the pressures of operating in the retail liquor landscape constantly evolving, the need to invest in professional development is becoming increasingly important, as a means of retaining staff and fostering building lifelong career paths,” he said.
The training hub has been in development for more than a year, with support from industry partners like Urban eLearning and Perreux Consulting. The courses include Business and Strategic Planning, Marketing Principles, Shopper Behaviour, Financial Management, Retail Store Layout, Retail Safety and Security Management, People Management, Negotiation Skills, and Time Management. Each course is two to four hours long and includes a Certificate of Attainment at completion.
Along with the nine courses, the online Industry Training Hub provides members with access to mandatory industry training such as RSA and Licensee or Approved Manager Training, as well as a broad range of other complementary courses offered by Retail Drinks’ industry partners.
“Making learning and professional development an essential component of running a business is an excellent retention strategy, as well as in ensuring that developing your employee’s skills and knowledge also helps grow the business,” Waters said.
“The provision of consistent and reliable training offers people working in our industry a career pathway rather than just a job, and acknowledges that education and training can improve skills, knowledge, and business outcomes.”