James Tenser

Recruiting for Retail Careers

March 18, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
It would be easy to churn out relevant clichés. But where education, experience and skills are concerned, retailers are recognizing a need for vocational and academic qualifications to co-exist and support one another. What can retailers do to convince young people that food retailing is a great career choice?      [more...]

I must amplify Mr. Anderson's endorsement of the Terry J. Lundgren center at the University of Arizona, and the associated academic program in Retailing and Consumer Sciences (RCSC). They do an outstanding job preparing young people for careers in retail management. (Disclosure: I was a graduate student there from 2002-2004.)

There are a number of university-level programs around the country with similar goals - University of Arkansas and Texas A&M come quickly to mind. All enjoy generous financial support and intensive recruiting from the nation's largest chain retailers. Their grads mostly hope to become buyers or marketers with jobs at headquarters.

What's missing, in my humble opinion, are community college level programs that prepare young people for careers in store management. Large chains desperately need well-trained people who want good careers in or near their home towns. There's a huge industry opportunity to embrace this effort.