Applications are now open for the Foundation Degree in Retail Operations and People Management, starting in January 2009. The degree has been developed as a partnership between Thames Valley University and the BAA Retail Academy and offers Heathrow airport staff practical training to build skills and improve career prospects.
Full or part-time retail staff with or without formal qualifications, or operations staff with some supervisory experience, can apply. On successful completion, students will be awarded the Foundation Degree of Arts (FdA) in Retail Operations and People Management.
This is the second year that the course has been offered, and training is delivered in venues close to Heathrow by Thames Valley University tutors along with input from key employers at the airport.
Karima Sakhi, Heathrow Retail Academy Manager, said “This course is designed to offer individuals the chance to receive valuable training to grow in confidence, build skills and improve career prospects. Following on from our success in the first year of the course, we are repeating the modules this year and are expecting huge interest from retail staff. Anyone who is thinking about signing up should contact me straight away.”
The course takes two years and lessons are weekly during term times, with one whole additional day a month. The cost is £850 in year one, and £900 in year two. Current students think it’s well worth it:
“The foundation degree has opened my eyes to different views. The qualification has so far given me a much wider picture of retail at the airport. Now I look to take what I’ve learned on my course to fit the needs of my staff. I also now have a much better understanding of customer service and the responsibilities for both staff and customers. I am able to work more effectively within my workplace,” said Jo Savage, a Fit Out Team Coordinator at BAA.
For more information on the course, please contact Karima Sakhi in the Heathrow Retail Academy on 07843 033 255, or on karima_sakhi@baa.com, as soon as possible.
Notes to editors
- BAA’s training provisions were inspected by Ofsted in November 2007, which awarded a “good” rating. BAA were also a runner-up in the Learning and Skills Council’s national apprenticeship employer of the year awards.
- The training programmes BAA manages or support helped 229 people gain new qualifications in 2007.
