Retail Realness

Afford’s School Leavers Employment Service (SLES) eases the stresses of transitioning from school to the workplace, by equipping trainees with the essential skills, knowledge and real-world experience they need to succeed.

Two of our Ipswich SLES trainees, Rebecca and Monique recently gained an insight into the retail industry, thanks to the Store Operations Manager of Kmart Ipswich, Jeremy Hutley. Along with their SLES Vocational Trainer, Rose Haley, the pair were given a tour of the entire store from front to back with a focus on each of the customer service roles that Kmart offers.

A highlight of the day was seeing the ‘back of house’ where they saw the world of stock room management and operations in action, something not a lot of prospective employee’s get the chance to preview. The girls were particularly surprised to discover that the back of Kmart was twice as big as the front.

“Both Rebecca and Monique came away with a newfound interest in future employment prospects at a big retail business, expressing their desire to apply for Kmart immediately,” said Rose.

Jeremy explained the various staff roles and introduced Rebecca and Monique to some current passionate team members who expressed their enthusiasm for their roles.

As part of the SLES program, clients are encouraged to have industry visits in careers they are interested in. Other services include career guidance, resume workshops, interview skills and developing other work ready skills, to help clients land the job they love

Find out more about Afford’s SLES program and how you undertake real-world working experiences and gain confidence to achieve your career goals.