Career Training Course Catalog: Retail
Instructor: Nadine Miller
Address: 200 S. Division St.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: 616-451-1894
E-mail: retailacademy@comcast.net

Facility Description:
Goodwill has established the Retail Training Academy at the Goodwill Division Street Store that consists of a classroom as well as a real retail environment where participants are paid while they put their newly acquired skills into action.

General Description of Training:
The Retail Academy is an intensive, 4-week course, where participants learn the fundamentals of retail through classroom instruction and then apply what theyfve learned on the floor through hands-on, paid, on-the-job training. Participants will learn customer service skills, how to operate a cash register, the basics of merchandising, telephone and communication skills, selling and promotion techniques, stocking, bagging methods and teamwork.

Goodwill offers a paid transitional work experience component as part of this training. The rate of pay is $5.15 per hour.

Proposed Length of Course:
The class is 4 weeks long, Mon.-Fri. each week, 3 hours a day. We offer morning classes from 9:30 a.m, - 12:30 p.m, and afternoon classes from 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. The training is a total of 60 hours, 36.5 classroom hours and 23.5 hours of work experience.

Where will the participants work?
The Division Street Goodwill Store

What will they be doing?
The participants will take the information they have learned in the classroom and apply it in a real working environment in the store. They will be stocking shelves, tagging merchandise, practicing basic safety techniques, practicing customer service skills, etc.

Eligibility Criteria:
Exhibit desire to work, able to sit in a classroom setting without causing disruptions, able to control own behavior, exhibit desire to learn, must be clean and sober, must be 18 or older and have the capability of remembering the information learned.

Certificate of Completion Criterion:
Participant must complete 80% of competencies to get a certificate of completion. They will be able to receive a certificate of participation if they have not achieved 80% of competencies. They will also have an opportunity to re-take the class to receive a certificate of completion. The program only allows two days missed, excused or unexcused. The third day you will be terminated from the program, but not Goodwill services. You will be expected to repeat the entire program to graduate successfully. Two tardies equals one absence.

Physical Demands of Training:
The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by a participant to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • While performing the duties of this job, the participant is often required to stand for long periods of time, walk, use hands, talk and hear.
  • Regularly required to reach with hands and arms.
  • Occasionally required to sit, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, taste or smell.
  • The participant must regularly lift up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.
  • Specific vision abilities required by the job include distance, color, peripheral, depth perception, and ability to focus.
People who are successful in this industry typically like the following:
To work with people and provide good customer service, have an ability to sell a product or service for profit, enjoy a fast paced environment, being indoors, working in teams, helping others and being precise.

Examples of entry-level jobs participants would qualify for following training:
Stock clerk, storekeeper, shipping-and-receiving, clerk, garment sorter, cashier, retail salesperson, sales representatives, customer service representative, etc. Average wage range of entry-level workers in this industry in the Grand Rapids area (in order of money made):
Cashiers $7.82/hr., Clerks (average) $9.62/hr., Retail Salesperson $10.62/hr., Customer Service Representative $14.22/hr., Sales Representatives $24.00/hr.

What does the job market look like for this kind of work? Is the demand high, medium or low?
In reviewing the Grand Rapids Area Occupational Employment Forecasts for 1998-2008, the following positions are needed in the area over the next 5 years; Retail Salespersons show an increase of 17.2%, Cashiers show an increase of 20.8%, Sales and related workers show an increase of 21.2%, Stock clerks show an increase of 15.5%, and Counter and Rental Clerks show an increase of 29.5%.

Instructional tools and equipment to be used:
Paper, pen, name tag, binder, inserts from class, cash register, merchandise, racks (Z, etc.), desks, writing board, etc. All of this is provided by the Retail Academy and is included in the cost of the training.