Tuesday, 24 November 2009 19:02 House of Fraser will be ready to provide work experience placements for Retail Business Diploma students, where it has a store and the qualification is available, by next September.

John King, the department store chain’s chief executive, signalled his support for the new flagship qualification, which will see retail taught by 45 pioneering partnerships of schools, colleges and training organisations by next next year.

"The Diploma will give students all over the country the opportunity to study the retail business at school for the first time, and we are proud to be part of it," says Mr King.

His announcement follows a week of events at flagship stores, from Manchester to London Oxford Street, promoting the Diploma and offering teachers an inside view of the sector.

House of Fraser joins Tesco, Sainsbury's, Specsavers and other top retailers developing the Diploma in Retail Business, which will be available to every student in England by 2013. Skillsmart Retail, the Sector Skills Council for Retail, is calling on other retailers to offer the same level of support for the qualification. 

Fiona Stubbs, Skillsmart Retail's diploma partnership manager, says: "This Diploma is set to be a huge success and to play a part in this we are inviting retailers to get on board. Whether that’s work experience like House of Fraser, providing resources for teachers or mentoring staff there are loads of opportunities to get involved."

Mr King adds: "It is essential that we work with young people and give them an insight into our stores, and work placements are an important part of this. So I’m delighted to be able to offer this commitment."

(Pictured: John King, House of Fraser chief executive)