Certification — How It’s Done in Other Industries

The Retail Council of Canada has successfully launched a certification program that could, in its general outline and methods of development, serve as a model for the plastics industry.

The National Retail Certification Program is designed to train, test and certify individuals for the positions of retail sales associates and first level managers. According to Beth Potter, vice-president of education, pilot testing for the retail sales associates certification program will be completed this fall; while testing of the first level manager program is scheduled to be completed early next year. The program is the culmination of a half-dozen years of research and consultation with people in the retailing industry, government and education sectors, Potter says.

As a national certification process, the program encompasses many of the goals and elements long-desired by the plastics industry, including the creation of National Occupational Standards, job definitions, skills requirements and course training and testing materials leading to certification.

“The program’s goal is to enhance the professionalism, quality and skills of people in retail,” notes Potter. “In the process we hope to increase the industry’s retention rate and promote retail as a career.”

While Potter stresses that the program has been the result of an industry-wide effort, it is clear that the Retail Council has played a key role, especially in the development of Occupational Standards and certification coursework. The Retail Council assumed responsibility for the development of the standards, taking over on behalf of industry at large and delivering a set of National Occupational Standards in March of 1999. The certification courses are based on the Standards for each job function. The courses are currently workbook based, and plans are to launch both instructor-led courses and an on-line courses sometime in 2002.