Review of Retail, Distribution, and Sales qualifications

FIELD SERVICE SECTOR

Review of Retail, Distribution, and Sales qualifications

National Certificate in Retail (Level 2) [Ref: 0993]

National Certificate in Retail (Level 3) with optional strands in Bicycle Sales and Servicing; Garden Retail; Visual Merchandising; Delicatessen; and Produce [Ref: 0994]

The Retail Institute has completed the review of the qualifications listed above.

Replacement qualification

National Certificate in Retail (Level 3) [Ref: 1689]

Date new versions published July 2011

The next qualification review is planned to take place during 2016.

Summary of review and consultation process

Feedback from the retail industry necessitated the review of the National Certificates in Retail (Level 2) and (Level 3) as they felt that the qualifications, especially at Level 3, contained too many low level technical skills at the exclusion of much needed leadership, product knowledge and business management skills.

The Retail Institute also liaised with the Australian Service Skills Council with the view to aligning the National Certificate in Retail (Level 3) with their equivalent qualification, the Australian Certificate III in Retail. The consultation confirmed that the Level 3 qualification was based around a different skill set and needed to be strengthened with more leadership and business management focussed outcomes.

Main changes resulting from the review

The purpose of the review was to:

· make the qualifications current and up to industry standard

· align the National Certificate in Retail (Level 3) [Ref: 1689] with the Australian Certificate III in Retail

· include leadership, management, business management, retail product knowledge, stock control and sales skills in the National Certificate in Retail (Level 3) [Ref: 1689]

· add new and relevant skills such as loss prevention and sales to National Certificate in Retail (Level 2) [Ref: 0993]

· establish a logical pathway and career progression for the retail industry.

National Certificate in Retail (Level 2) [Ref: 0993]

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· Standards 497 and 11971 were removed from the compulsory.

· Standards 17593 and 24997 were added to the compulsory.

· Compulsory credits at level 2 increased from 19 to 26.

· The Elective credit requirement decreased from 23 to 15.

· Standard 103 in the Elective was replaced by standard 111.

· The qualification total decreased from 50 to 40 credits.

Transition

People currently working towards version 4 of this qualification may complete the requirements for that version or transfer to version 5. The last date for assessment against version 4 is 31 December 2012.

This qualification contains a standard that replaced an earlier standard. For the purposes of this qualification, people who have gained credit for the expiring standard are exempt from the requirement to gain credit for the replacement standard - see table below.

Credit for	Exempt from
11970	24997

National Certificate in Retail Level 3) with optional strands in Bicycle Sales and Servicing; Garden Retail; Visual Merchandising; Delicatessen; and Produce [Ref: 0994]

National Certificate in Retail (Level 3) [Ref: 1689]

Review category

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

Changes to structure and content

· The replacement qualification does not include strands.

· Standards 406 and 11968 from the Core Compulsory of Ref: 0994 were included in the Compulsory.

· Standards 11097, 11831, and 17593 from the Core Compulsory of Ref: 0994 were not included in Ref: 1689.

· Standard 11097 from the Core Compulsory of Ref: 0994 was included in Elective 2.

· Standards 4098, 7106, 7108 and 18203 from the Core Elective of Ref: 0994 were included in Elective 2.

Transition

The last date for assessment against the National Certificate in Retail (Level 3) with optional strands in Bicycle Sales and Servicing; Garden Retail; Visual Merchandising; Delicatessen; and Produce [Ref: 0994] is 31 December 2014. Candidates who wish to complete the Visual Merchandising optional strand must be assessed against standard 11446, Explore relationship among surface, material, and form qualities in craft, art, and design practice, before it expires in December 2012.

It is anticipated that no existing trainees will be disadvantaged by these transition arrangements. Any person who feels they have been disadvantaged by these transition arrangements should contact the Retail Institute at the address below. Appeals will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Retail Institute

PO Box 24341

Manners Street

Wellington 6142

Telephone 0800 486 738

Email info@retailito.org.nz

Website http://www.retailito.org.nz/

Key to Qualification Review Categories

Category A The qualification is published as a new version with the same NQF ID	Changes are made to SSB name, contact details or purpose statement
	No change is made to title, rules or components of the qualification
	No transition arrangements are required
Category B The qualification is published as a new version with the same NQF ID	Changes are made to title, rules or components
	The new version of the qualification recognises a similar skill set to that recognised by the previous version
	The SSB is confident that people awarded the new or previous version are comparable in terms of competence
	Transition arrangements are required if candidates must gain additional/different credits for the new version
Category C A new (replacement) qualification is published with new NQF ID	Significant changes are made to the qualification in terms of components, structure, type or level
	The SSB views people with the replacement qualification as being significantly different in terms of competence from those with the replaced qualification
	Transition arrangements are required
	Transition may be limited to phase-out dates
Category D Qualification will expire. There is no replacement qualification	Qualification is no longer required by industry
	The qualification is designated as expiring and a last date for meeting the qualification requirements is set