Unemployed youth should consider ‘behind the scenes’ retail jobs

You pull up in your vehicle, the attendant greets you and asks how much gas or diesel you would like, a debit card is used or cash is exchanged and everyone is happy.

Sometimes a driver might go to the station convenience store to grab a cup of coffee or other treats, but that’s the extent of the process.

At least from the customer’s point of view.

From the garage owner’s perspective, the motorist’s interaction with the attendant and/or cashier represents only a fraction of the overall operation, although it is vital in terms of the business’s product offering.

Behind the scenes, many professionals work tirelessly to ensure motorists stay on the road.

Importers, refinery workers, bulk storage experts, tanker drivers, accountants and lawyers represent just a small sample of those responsible for getting fuel to the pump from its original destination.

Retail works the same way. Beyond what the customer sees on the shelves, there is a world full of workers from different professional fields who ensure that products are always stocked.

Through its Academy of Learning, this is the point that the Spar Group aims to make clear to young South African graduates and school leavers: huge opportunities exist in the retail space, many of which take place outside the walls of the physical store.

According to Stats SA, around one in three South Africans are unemployed, and of these, just over 40 percent are registered. Just over 10 percent of the unemployed are people with higher education.

However, Spar believes that youth unemployment can be reduced if they broaden their perspective to include less obvious opportunities in the sectors they engage in on a daily basis.

“All an 18-year-old leaving school can see is the store, not a potential career choice. But there is a much bigger picture than just the retail store,” said Mandi Pullen, Spar Eastern Cape retail human resource development manager.

In addition to in-store fresh produce departments, butchers, bakeries and hot meals, there are areas such as engineering, architecture, interior design, finance and food safety, risk and technology to take into account.

“We want our young people to understand that,” Pullen said.

Earlier this year, Spar EC used the Working World Expo at the Feathermarket Centre in Gqeberha to help local young people recognise the career potential that exists in retail.

The retailer offers several programs for school leavers and graduates in the province.

Through its partnership with Youth Employment Services (YES), an organization that works with businesses to create a quality work experience, 55 applicants are accepted each year.

“The YES program has been operating nationally for many years,” Pullen explained.

“We work in partnership with our stores to ensure learning collaboration between retail and the distribution center, where we offer a comprehensive 12-month training program.”

Interns earn a minimum wage while receiving ongoing personal development training and coaching as well as many other benefits.

This is where they often see learners shine and show their value, giving successful candidates the opportunity to secure permanent employment in retail.

To encourage young job seekers, Spar also set up a motivation programme in which the stories of employees who had climbed the ladder were told.

This initiative involved interviewing these employees online and giving participants the opportunity to interact with them.

A good example is a team member who started as a baker in a store and is now involved in the entire operations of Spar EC’s bakery division.

“These stories helped introduce the exciting world of retail to Grade 11 and 12 learners,” Pullen said.

“The program lasted three years and allowed us to partner with a company that offered one of the candidates 18 months of mentoring. At the end of this program, she was offered a permanent position. »

She even ended up working on the Facebook account of a former DC employee, now a retailer.

“It was a beautiful story of coming full circle. »

These programs aimed to make the retail sector attractive to young people and the “graduates” could then pass on their Spar journey to members of their community, Pullen said.