The content of this Pathway has been agreed by People 1st. This is the only Apprenticeship Pathway in the Retail sector approved for use in Wales that is eligible for Welsh Government funding.
Learning Programme Content
The Learning Programme provision shall comprise of three mandatory elements:
- Qualifications,
- Essential Skills
- On/off the job training
The total minimum credit value required for the Level 2 Pathway, Trade Business Services is 50 credits.
Entry requirements
This Pathway does not impose any entry restrictions except where employers set their own entry requirements.
Entrants will come from a diverse range of backgrounds and will have a range of experience and, in some cases, prior qualifications and awards which may count towards the achievement of an Apprenticeship.
Apprenticeship pathway learning programme(s)
Level 2:Trade Business Services
Level 2:Trade Business Services Qualifications
Participants must achieve one of the following competency and knowledge qualifications below.
| Level 2 Certificate in Trade Business Services | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awarding Body | Qualification No. | Credit Value | Total Qualification Time | Combined / Competence / Knowledge | Qualification Assessment Lanaguage(s) |
| Pearson | C00/0598/9 601/1292/X | 27 | 270 | Competence | English Only |
| BTEC Level 2 Certificate in Principles of Trade Business Services | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awarding Body | Qualification No. | Credit Value | Total Qualification Time | Combined / Competence / Knowledge | Qualification Assessment Lanaguage(s) |
| Pearson | C00/0597/4 601/1224/4 | 13 | 130 | Knowledge | English Only |
Essential Skills Wales (ESW)
| Level 2:Trade Business Services | Level | Minimum Credit Value |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 1 | 6 |
| Application of number | 1 | 6 |
Essential Skills Wales qualifications assessment languages are English-Welsh
On/Off the Job training
| Pathway | Minimum On the Job Training Hours | Minimum Off the Job Training Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2:Trade Business Services | 161 | 118 |
On/Off the Job Qualification details (Minimum Credit & Hours)
Competence qualification - 27 credits & Knowledge qualification -13 credits
The total amount of training hours is 279- which includes both on and off-the-job learning and 180 hours for Essential Skills for this pathway.
On/Off the Job Essential Skills details (Minimum Credit & Hours)
- 6 credits / 60 GLH Level 1 Essential Skills Wales Communication
- 6 credits / 60 GLH Level 1 Essential Skills Wales Application of Number
Other additional requirements
None
Job roles
Trade Business Depot Operative
Servicing and building relationships with local trade’s people to support them in the design, ordering, purchasing and delivery of materials for trade jobs. Personnel may hold responsibility for a range of functions including opening and maintaining trade accounts, local marketing and sales activity
Progression
Progression routes into the Intermediate Apprenticeship in Trade Business Services
Examples of progression routes into this pathway include:
Work experience or experience of working in trade business services; retail; design or customer services;
Level 1 QCF qualification in Retail, Customer Service, Design;
GCSEs in English and Maths
Apprentices will undergo an initial assessment to identify prior learning and experience which may count towards the achievement of this apprenticeship.
Progression from the Intermediate Apprenticeship in Trade Business Services
Apprentices will be able to continue in their Trade Business Depot Operative Role as a fully competent team member, working without additional support/supervision that may have been required during their apprenticeship; or they can move sideways into either a specialist Business Development/Administration, Counter Sales or Warehouse role. All employees then have the opportunity to follow the career progression routes in to depot, area and regional management or into central services e.g. training, marketing, HR and credit control.
Advanced Apprenticeships: Apprentices may progress from their Intermediate Apprenticeship into Advanced Apprenticeships in areas such as the following:
Retail Management or Retail Sales Professional Advanced Apprenticeship
Warehousing and Storage Advanced Apprenticeship
Customer Services Advanced Apprenticeship Sales and Telesales Advanced Apprenticeship
Business Administration Advanced Apprenticeship.
Management Advanced Apprenticeship
Equality and diversity
It is important that apprenticeship Pathways are inclusive and can demonstrate an active approach to identifying and removing barriers to entry and progression. Pathways should advance equality of opportunity between persons who share protected characteristics and those persons who do not as identified in the Equality Act 2010.
The Protected characteristics identified in the Equality Act are age, disability, gender re-assignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity. Marriage and civil partnership is also included although only in respect of the requirement to eliminate discrimination in employment.
Training providers and employers MUST also comply with the other duty under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that applicants are not discriminated against in terms of entry to the industry based upon those nine protected characteristics.
Trade Business Services is a sub-sector of the Retail Industry. Retail's gender profile is 60:40 women to men and this is even more weighted towards men in the Trade Business subset. Unlike retail in general, employers in the Trade Business Services sector are facing issues due to their ageing workforce as they are struggling to take on new recruits and make the sector attractive enough for school and college leavers. The apprenticeship, through promotion form employers and the awarding organisation, raises the profile of this sector and provides increased opportunities for prospective apprentices to consider entry into a growing sector which does not have a significant presence in the careers curriculum.
Employment responsibilities and rights
Employment Responsibilities and Rights (ERR) is no longer compulsory. But it is recommended that all apprentices (especially the 16 years -18 year group) receive a company induction programme.
Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the Training Provider and Employer to ensure that the requirements of this pathway are delivered in accordance with the Welsh Government Apprenticeships Guidance.
Further information may be obtained from: Welsh Government