Keywords
Citation
(2000), "China sold on retail qualifications", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 24 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeit.2000.00324eab.007
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited
China sold on retail qualifications
China sold on retail qualifications
Keywords: Vocational training, China, Retailing
China's biggest department store chain, Hualian, is now an approved centre for the Chinese version of the new International Vocational Qualification in Retailing. The store has joined seven Chinese universities as an approved City and Guilds delegated authority and, following a piloting programme, it is hoped that provision will be extended to other stores throughout the country.
Since China's change of regime over ten years ago, the potential of the market cannot be ignored. The retail sector has boomed and downtown Beijing is looking more and more like London or Milan, with stores offering a range of international designer goods. The number of incoming tourists is also increasing significantly and retail assistants need the knowledge and skills to deal with both the changing products and the differing expectations of customers.
Retailing is one of the first awards developed by City and Guilds following the signing of the OSTA (Occupational Skills Testing Authority) agreement with the Chinese Government. Further qualifications are currently being developed in line with government priorities.