EMPOWERING RETAIL TALENT
SPECIALIST TRAINING & APPRENTICESHIPS, TALENT ACCESS & GRADUATE RECRUITMENT
CONTENTS
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
ABOUT FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
2
APPRENTICESHIPS
4
EMERGING TALENT
6
DEVELOPING MANAGERS
11
FUTURE LEADERS
15
FAQs
16
CUSTOMISED TRAINING
18
SHORT COURSES
23
EARLY TALENT IDENTIFICATION
24
GRADUATE RECRUITMENT
30
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ABOUT FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
SOLVING THE TALENT CHALLENGE – FOR INDUSTRY Finding, developing and retaining the right talent has never been more important – or more difficult. Skills shortages, evolving customer expectations, digital transformation and changing workforce needs are creating new challenges for businesses across fashion, retail and beauty. When you want to build the talent pipelines and workforce capabilities needed to succeed, we’re here to support you through every stage of the journey. Through industry-led education, training and employer partnerships, we connect your business with emerging talent, develop existing teams and shape the skills needed for the future. From student engagement, recruitment and work placements to help you access entry-level talent before they graduate; to apprenticeships, professional training and workforce development solutions designed specifically for our sectors: everything we do is powered by the specialist expertise behind the Fashion Retail Academy and the London College of Beauty Therapy. Our industry partnerships have helped thousands of learners launch successful careers and enabled hundreds of leading brands to strengthen their workforce. Whether your goal is to attract new talent, close skills gaps, improve retention or develop future leaders, we work alongside you to create solutions that deliver measurable business impact.
WE ARE FOR INDUSTRY 2
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
APPRENTICESHIPS RATED OUTSTANDING BY OFSTED
PROGRAMMES DESIGNED FOR SUCCESS BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS
CENTRAL LONDON LOCATIONS WITH DEDICATED BUSINESS TRAINING SUITES
A LEADING EDUCATION CHARITY, DEDICATED TO SHAPING THE INDUSTRY LEADERS OF TOMORROW
UNRIVALLED ACCESS TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF BEAUTY AND RETAIL TALENT
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
DELIVERING OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL, REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND OR CIRCUMSTANCE
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APPRENTICESHIPS An apprenticeship is an opportunity for an individual to train on the job and can be used to give training support to existing team members as well as new hires. They also enable individuals to gain additional skills to enhance their performance or progress through the business. If your business pays the apprenticeship levy, you have already paid for this training which can be used for staff at any stage in their career. If you’re a small business which doesn’t pay the levy, you can still take advantage of government funding of up to 95% of the cost. We offer a number of different apprenticeship opportunities that can be utilised for retention, upskilling and succession planning.
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FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
OUR APPRENTICESHIPS
EMERGING TALENT Customer Service Practitioner Retail Assistant Customer Service Specialist Retail Service Excellence Supervisor Retail Service Excellence Supervisor for Jewellery Client Experience Supervisor for Beauty Retail Service Excellence Supervisor with Visual Merchandising Supply Chain Practitioner AI & Data Champion
6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10
DEVELOPING MANAGERS Buying & Merchandising Assistant Data Analyst Procurement & Supply Chain Practitioner Fashion & Textiles Product Technologist Retail Manager Jewellery Retail Manager Buying & Merchandising Assistant for FMCG Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Practitioner
11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14
FUTURE LEADERS Assistant Buyer/Merchandiser
15
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
5
EMERGING TALENT
CUSTOMER SERVICE PRACTITIONER CULTIVATE CONFIDENT FRONT-LINE REPRESENTATIVES TO DELIVER POSITIVE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES Designed for anyone working in a store or digital customer care role looking to progress their knowledge and skillset. Apprentices will be taught how to provide outstanding service for customers at every touch point, whether physical or digital, and to deliver brand standards with consistency and passion.
COST
£3,500 per employee DURATION
12 months RETAIL ASSISTANT BUILD RETAIL TEAMS THAT DELIVER ON SALES TARGETS AND REPRESENT YOUR BRAND VALUES Ideal for staff who seek to develop communication, problem-solving, and service delivery skills. They will learn the importance of having a good understanding of stock levels, pricing and product features and the USPs of their brand to deliver a high standard of service, store admin and visual merchandising standards.
COST
£5,000 per employee DURATION
12 months 6
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST DRIVE LOYALTY AND RETENTION WITH HIGH-PERFORMING CUSTOMER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS Build confidence in navigating complex queries and complaint escalation, while improving service processes and standards through coaching junior team members. Embed data analysis and insight in front-line team leadership to support day-to-day excellence in customer service.
COST
£4,000 per employee DURATION
15 months RETAIL SERVICE EXCELLENCE SUPERVISOR BUILD OPERATIONAL, LEADERSHIP AND CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS FOR SHOP-FLOOR TEAMS This apprenticeship teaches best practice in retail customer service and builds sales, merchandising and leadership techniques to develop confident, capable supervisors. Apprentices will gain knowledge of advanced sales strategies to reach new customers and leverage the brand’s market position to inspire loyalty.
COST
£4,000 per employee DURATION
15 months FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
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EMERGING TALENT
RETAIL SERVICE EXCELLENCE SUPERVISOR FOR JEWELLERS DEVELOP CONFIDENT STORE SUPERVISORS WITH JET1-CERTIFIED JEWELLERY EXPERTISE Created exclusively in partnership with the National Association of Jewellers, this programme includes the JET1 certificate at no extra cost. Exploring a range of customer service, sales and leadership skills, this apprenticeship is designed to develop team members into confident and inspiring leaders. COST
£4,000 per employee DURATION
15 months CLIENT EXPERIENCE SUPERVISOR FOR BEAUTY DRIVE HIGH STANDARDS IN BEAUTY SALES WITH CONFIDENT, CAPABLE RETAIL SUPERVISORS Our Client Experience Supervisor programme supports learners to take the first step on the beauty retail management ladder, to develop effective communicators and problem solvers capable of leading high-performing teams that provide exceptional customer service and learn beauty consultation techniques. COST
£4,000 per employee DURATION
15 months 8
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
RETAIL SERVICE EXCELLENCE SUPERVISOR WITH VISUAL MERCHANDISING BUILD FRONTLINE RETAIL SUPERVISORS TO DELIVER HIGH LEVEL SERVICE, STANDARDS AND PERFORMANCE Designed to develop commercial, creative and operational skills, apprentices will learn to conceptualise exciting new ways to encourage customers to shop in order to achieve sales targets. COST
£4,000 per employee DURATION
15 months SUPPLY CHAIN PRACTITIONER STRENGTHEN SUPPLY CHAINS WITH HIGH-PERFORMING PROCUREMENT, PLANNING AND LOGISTICS TEAMS Builds skill in recording, coordinating and optimising the movement of goods and services to increase efficiency and reduce waste. Learners will develop the skills to support the development of data-driven, risk-aware supply chain professionals with practical operational expertise in fast-paced environments.
COST
£15,000 per employee DURATION
18 months FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
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EMERGING TALENT
AI & RETAIL DATA CHAMPION EMBED DATA LITERACY ACROSS YOUR BUSINESS TO TURN INFORMATION INTO INSIGHT Build confidence in sourcing, reporting and handling data and using AI to support business decision-making. Empower junior staff to deliver clear, contextual data-driven insights and build foundational AI knowledge.
COST
£13,000 per employee DURATION
15 months
10
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
DEVELOPING MANAGERS
BUYING & MERCHANDISING ASSISTANT DEVELOP ENTRY-LEVEL TALENT TO SUPPORT BUYING & MERCHANDISING STRATEGIES Designed for those starting out on a career in buying and merchandising, this apprenticeship explores all aspects of these functions, covering topics including the beauty retail business environment, planning and budgeting, range creation and trading.
COST
£6,000 per employee DURATION
15 months DATA ANALYST DEVELOP IN-DEMAND DATA ANALYTICS SKILLS FOR ROLES ACROSS THE INDUSTRY Empower your team to use data to drive positive change across all business areas, from design and development to marketing and operations. Staff develop skills in data management, analysis and classification, whilst learning how to investigate and solve complex problems.
COST
£15,000 per employee DURATION
15 months FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
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DEVELOPING MANAGERS
PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN PRACTITIONER SUPPORT SUPPLY CHAIN TEAMS WITH STRATEGIC, FORWARDTHINKING LEADERS Develop commercial awareness, negotiation skills and a strategic approach to procurement, and be able to enact strategic, cost-effective decisionmaking based on marketing analysis, spend evaluation and risk forecasting.
COST
£10,000 per employee DURATION
18 months FASHION & TEXTILES PRODUCT TECHNOLOGIST PROVIDING TECHNICAL SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE GARMENT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS Learn practical and technical knowledge to create new product designs, review samples and support the production and manufacturing processes. Develop essential knowledge of the production cycle, supply chains and quality assurance to ensure that your brand’s products are of the best quality.
COST
£9,000 per employee DURATION
18 months 12
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
RETAIL MANAGER CREATE A PIPELINE FOR COMMERCIALLY-FOCUSED AND MOTIVATIONAL STORE LEADERSHIP This apprenticeship is the ideal progression route for team leaders and supervisors ready to step up to management level, or for existing managers wanting to enhance their skills and performance to consistently drive standards across beauty retail stores.
COST
£5,000 per employee DURATION
15 months JEWELLERY RETAIL MANAGER DEVELOP CONFIDENT RETAIL MANAGERS WITH JET1-CERTIFIED JEWELLERY EXPERTISE Build advanced leadership, commercial acumen and exceptional client-care skills and gain JET1 certificate training that elevates their knowledge in diamonds, gemstones, precious metals and watches. Explore a range of sales, merchandising and leadership skills, this apprenticeship is for team leaders and supervisors ready to develop their management capabilities. COST
£5,000 per employee DURATION
12 months FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
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DEVELOPING MANAGERS
BUYING & MERCHANDISING ASSISTANT FOR FMCG DEVELOP BUYING AND MERCHANDISING TEAMS WITHIN HIGH-VOLUME FMCG TRADING ENVIRONMENTS Discover the essential knowledge and skills to improve sales accuracy, margin performance and supply chain efficiency, while developing staff confident with working in high-volume trading environments.
COST
£6,000 per employee DURATION
16 months CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY & SUSTAINABILITY PRACTITIONER EMPOWER SUSTAINABILITY ADVOCATES ACROSS YOUR BUSINESS Designed to develop future fashion, beauty and retail leaders who are passionate about sustainability and equipped with the business skills and ethical insights necessary to drive meaningful change in the industry.
COST
£14,000 per employee DURATION
18 months 14
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
FUTURE LEADERS
ASSISTANT BUYER/ MERCHANDISER BOOST RETENTION WITH A SMOOTH PROGRESSION PATH FOR BUYING & MERCHANDISING TEAMS Develop commercial and operational understanding in order to drive increased growth and profit. Offering a complete overview of best practice in buying and merchandising, learners will explore the core responsibilities of their role while gaining skills in leadership, project management and financial planning.
COST
£10,000 per employee DURATION
18 months
OUR TEAM IS CONTINUOUSLY DEVELOPING NEW PROGRAMMES TO MEET THE RAPIDLY-CHANGING NEEDS OF THE INDUSTRY. TO SEE FULL DETAILS OF ALL THE APPRENTICESHIPS ABOVE AND DISCOVER ALL OF THE APPRENTICESHIPS WE OFFER, CLICK HERE!
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FAQ’S
APPRENTICESHIPS ARE ONLY FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS OR YOUNG PEOPLE
Apprenticeships are open to anyone aged 16 and over, with no upper age limit. In fact, for some of our higher level apprenticeships, we rarely see those in their teens or early 20s enrol as the seniority required for the apprenticeship is typically more indicative of those in their 30s and beyond!
APPRENTICESHIPS ARE ONLY FOR NEW HIRES
You don’t need to recruit new staff to engage with an apprenticeship. Most of our apprentices to date have been existing employees upskilling in order to add increased value to their organisation and be better lined up for promotions in the future.
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APPRENTICES HAVE TO BE PAID LESS
There’s no requirement for staff to take a pay cut when starting an apprenticeship, and we definitely discourage it as this is likely to have a negative impact on talent attraction and retention.
YOUR SITES ARE BASED IN LONDON, SO IT’S NOT SUITABLE FOR US While our LCBT and FRA campuses are in London, our apprenticeship delivery has operated nationally for many years. We offer many remote and blended learning programmes, meaning staff from all across England can access the same high-quality training without needing to travel. Even for those based in London, this has proven to be an attractive option for those with busy schedules!
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
ONCE STAFF FINISH THEIR APPRENTICESHIP, THEY WILL JUST LEAVE MY BUSINESS AND ANOTHER EMPLOYER WILL BENEFIT INSTEAD WILL GAIN THE SKILLS I INVESTED IN DEVELOPING
Our apprenticeship outcomes show that the majority of apprentices are very loyal to their employer, with many obtaining promotions upon completion and becoming mentors of future apprentices brands sign up. For retail, where turnover is very high, an apprenticeship can also be a reason for staff to remain with their employer as they have a personal ambition to stay to complete their programme.
IT’S HARD TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF APPRENTICESHIPS ON OUR BUSINESS
Our apprenticeships include structured progress reviews, clear milestones, and measured skills outcomes. We have a dedicated team to provide employers with regular updates and contextualise learning in the workplace. In our Ofsted inspection in March 2025, it was stated that: “Most apprentices gain promotions and permanent positions.”
APPRENTICESHIPS ARE VERY COMPLICATED TO SET UP
APPRENTICESHIPS WILL BE TOO TIME-CONSUMING AND DISRUPTIVE TO OUR BUSINESS
All our apprenticeships are designed to be flexible. Direct training is often delivered via a blended method of online and in-person sessions, but these are timetabled to accomodate your business needs (for example, many retailers request no training in December to account for the busy Christmas period). The training also incorporates lots of work-based, self-led learning, meaning that the application of new skills at work both meets business needs and counts towards the apprenticeship.
APPRENTICESHIPS ARE EXPENSIVE AND NOT WORTH THE INVESTMENT
For levy-paying employers, apprenticeship costs are already fully funded through your levy ‘pot’. Nonlevy payers can take advantage of 95% government funding for apprenticeships, making them a much cheaper option than privately-funded CPD. Think of it like having a mandatory Netflix subscription: you could choose to buy a DVD tonight, but you could have watched an amazing film you’ve already paid for!
We have a dedicated team to support you through every stage of apprenticeship setup, meaning the majority of the administrative burden is taken care of - all you need to do is click a few buttons and sign a few documents.
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CUSTOMISED TRAINING Your business is unique: that’s why we’ve developed a range of customisable training bootcamps that can be tailored to the specific needs of your brand to help boost productivity and commercial performance, as well as employee engagement and retention. Customised training can be integrated into your people strategy to provide end-to-end learning and development solutions supporting organisational objectives and KPIs using data-driven insights. We deliver impactful results where your business needs it most, powered by the training expertise of the Fashion Retail Academy and London College of Beauty Therapy.
WHO IS IT FOR?
You set the pace of learning that makes sense for your business, from a one-week intensive bootcamp up to a full-year programme of sessions, ensuring your people receive the right training at the right time.
WHERE DOES IT TAKE PLACE?
HOW WILL IT SUPPORT OUR BUSINESS?
Tell us what works best for your business and we’ll design a programme to suit: you can choose from online training, in-person at our central London training facilities, or even training delivered at your head office.
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HOW LONG IS THE COURSE?
From early careers managers to senior leaders, store operations to fashion buyers, we provide a list of example roles suitable for our different bootcamps so you have confidence in your selection.
All customised training programmes include a range of learning outcomes aligned to business objectives, but if you have predetermined KPIs, we’ll work with you to ensure measurable impact in your target areas.
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
Our range of customisable courses includes:
IN-STORE RETAIL
• Retail Sales: designed for supervisors and team leaders to drive conversion, maximise transaction value and increase sales productivity. • Store Management: empowers store managers to deliver on sales targets while protecting profit margins and maximising productivity of store teams.
HEAD OFFICE
• Trading Fundamentals: builds skills for team leaders and supervisors to drive sell-through, protect margins and control stock investment. • Commercial Negotiation: drives improved supplier performance through cost price control and margin negotiation techniques for managers. • Product Strategy: created to help senior leaders shape category profitability, drive full-price sellthrough and build commercial range strategies.
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
In addition, you can bolt-on dynamic modules to any of our customised programmes to target specific skills gaps and increase the learning benefit: • Excel for Retail • Retail Maths • Coaching for Retail • Retail Management Styles • Visual Communications • Corporate Social Responsibility • Project Management Techniques • Risk Management & Business Continuity Planning • Fashion AI • Beauty AI • Beauty Consultation Techniques
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CUSTOMISED TRAINING
How to build your customised training solution:
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1
CHOOSE YOUR SKILLS FOCUS
2
CUSTOMISE YOUR DELIVERY MODE Electra House, on-site or online.
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CUSTOMISE YOUR DELIVERY SCHEDULE All in one week, one day per week, one day per month, etc.
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CUSTOMISE YOUR KPIs TO MEASURE BEFORE/AFTER
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CUSTOMISE WITH DYNAMIC MODULES Optional additional modules for holistic development
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
CASE STUDY: CUSTOMISED TRAINING
PROGRAMME Leadership & Management ACADEMY The Paul Smith Way The iconic British luxury brand has around 900 UK employees and has worked with Fashion Retail Academy since 2022 to enhance its personal and professional development offer post-pandemic, contextualised to its core brand values. Our team worked closely with various departments across Paul Smith to understand their business culture future direction, which was then mapped to skills competencies that drive strategic culture and future. From this exercise, eight guiding principles and five areas for development were identified and built into a framework to support ongoing development at three levels of management. Implementation of the new development framework was strongly supported at all levels of the business, with feedback from Paul Smith’s People team noting improvements in employee satisfaction, engagement and retention in a changing and increasingly competitive environment.
THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF OPENNESS AND WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE AND PROGRESS, NOT JUST WITHIN THE COMPANY, BUT THE INDUSTRY IS CHANGING AND DEVELOPING IN SO MANY WAYS: IT’S THE RIGHT TIME TO MAKE SURE CAMELLIA SPACZYNSKA MANAGERS ARE EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH HEAD OF RETAIL OPERATIONS THAT CHANGE” FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
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FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
SHORT COURSES Short courses are the ideal bitesize solution for fast results in specific focus areas. Offered at highly competitive rates, our short courses can be run at any time throughout the year. We currently offer short courses in: • Introduction to Buying & Merchandising • Social Media for Fashion • Classic Lash Extensions (Launching Soon) • Lash Lift & Tint (Launching Soon) More specialist short courses launching soon.
Our short courses are delivered online or on-site at our London campus and start from as little as £195 per delegate. There are a number of ways employers can use short courses to augment staff development, such as: INDIVIDUAL STAFF LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT: Staff can use their employersponsored personal L&D allowance benefit to study a role-relevant short course.
INTEGRATED CAREER PROGRESSION: Nominate high-potential staff to attend short courses as part of succession planning or leadership development.
ONBOARDING/NEW STARTERS: Introductory courses are a great alternative to internal inductions for graduate talent starting in your business.
APPRENTICESHIP BOLT-ON: Short courses can be used for extra credit or skills development to maximise the value of their apprenticeship learning.
SUPPLEMENT INTERNAL L&D: Integrate short courses into in-house CPD schemes to support staff skills development and productivity.
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL EXPOSURE: Introduce staff to different areas of your business to broaden their understanding and career options.
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EARLY TALENT IDENTIFICATION IDENTIFY HIGH-POTENTIAL CANDIDATES EARLY TO STRENGTHEN EARLY-CAREER RETENTION AND INCREASE THE QUALITY OF HIRES Our close links with industry are what set the Fashion Retail Academy and the London College of Beauty Therapy apart. Alongside courses developed in collaboration with industry experts, we work with dozens of top beauty salons, spas and retailers to offer our students a broad range of hands-on opportunities and ensure they start their future careers with the experience they need to succeed. By partnering with us, you can not only benefit from early access to future talent, you can position your brand as an employer of choice to job-ready graduates whilst helping meet your ESG targets. Opportunities to engage with our students include work placements, mentoring, projects and masterclasses across all our fashion and beauty specialisms. We welcome those with experience in areas such as: • Marketing & PR • Buying & Merchandising • Beauty Therapy • Hairdressing • Sustainability • Make-up • Business & more
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GRADUATE TALENT ACCESS
EARLY TALENT IDENTIFICATION
RISK-REDUCED HIRING
Access commercially aware fashion and beauty graduates ready to contribute from day one.
Identify high-potential candidates early through live projects, placements and assessment centres.
Try before you hire: Assess real capability in action and improve retention and time-toproductivity.
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
MASTERCLASSES & MENTORSHIP
EXTENDED INTERVIEW PLACEMENTS (FRA)
Get early access to FRA students across different courses and levels, through our placement opportunities – like an extended interview and opportunity to assess real-world skills in the workplace! We offer placements from 3 weeks to 3 months and we’ll support you through the planning process with frameworks to help you prepare.
LIVE PROJECTS (FRA)
Understand how Gen Z perceive and respond to your brand and gain tangible ideas and insights by setting a real business challenge or project for our students. Challenges are set by a brand in day 1 and student findings are presented back in day 2.
MASTERCLASSES (LCBT & FRA) Inspire the next generation of industry leaders by sharing your expertise in specialist areas, whilst raising the profile of your brand to support future recruitment needs. Talks for LCBT can also include a live demonstration.
MENTORSHIP (FRA)
Use our mentoring scheme to support your professional development, whilst gaining valuable insight into the way Gen Z think. FE Mentoring - Industry professionals are paired with a class for three sessions between November and April. Undergraduate Mentoring - Launching in March, our undergrad mentors meet with their student 1:1 once per term, to share insight and knowledge.
Projects for our degree students run for 8 –12 weeks. Students work in-depth on a brief created in collaboration with the brand and the module leader. Projects and challenges run throughout the year.
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PROJECTS & CHALLENGES
FOCUS GROUPS (FRA)
Gather insight direct from Gen Z by conducting a focus group, and gain valuable intel on your future workforce and your customer. Focus groups can take place at one of our campuses or your head office.
PANEL DISCUSSIONS (FRA)
A panel discussion can position you and your brand as thought leaders on key industry topics. Typically featuring 3–4 industry experts in conversation with one of our teachers, we explore themes relevant to students’ learning.
PRACTICAL WORKSHOPS (LCBT ONLY)
Spot early talent and raise the profile of your brand to students by offering a hands-on learning experience led by an expert. Sessions typically include live demonstrations, practical tasks, 121 feedback and student insights.
CAREERS FAIRS (FRA & LCBT)
Access our emerging graduate talent at one of our careers fairs. Brands can speak to students about future careers, advertise any seasonal roles and fill the entry level talent pipeline
INDUSTRY/LOCATION VISTS (FRA & LCBT)
Showcase your head office environment and boost your employer brand appeal while increasing awareness of career opportunities to students, to support your early careers recruitment pipeline. 26
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
CASE STUDY: PROJECTS & CHALLENGES
COURSE Level 4 Visual Merchandising for Fashion (Fashion Retail Academy) TASKS • 3D renders of the pop-up space • Concept board • Product dispay mock up • Event planning With over 150 years of advanced skincare technology, Shiseido is widely regarded as a leading innovator in the skincare industry. The team asked our Level 4 Visual Merchandising students to design an innovative pop-up space at Selfridges, for the relaunch of the brands best selling product, Ultimune Power Infusing Serum. After receiving the brief from the Shiseido team, the students began their primary research with a visit to Selfridges, where they conducted a SWOT analysis of competitor brands. They applied classroom knowledge to develop 3D renders and mock displays, and developed a creative event concept aimed at promoting the product and engaging consumers. The outcome was a valuable experience for everyone. The students built confidence in selfdirected research, presented their ideas to the VM team and received tailored feedback from industry experts. Meanwhile, Shiseido gained Valuable insight into the the Gen Z perspective. This offered a fresh lens to help the brand connect with younger consumers and expand its target audience.
WE FOUND THIS A VERY EXHILARATING AND EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE. THE STUDENTS WERE ENGAGING AND SEEMED INTERESTED IN NOT ONLY VM BUT THE WIDER ROLL OUT OF A CAMPAIGN. IT WAS ANH VONG FASCINATING TO SEE THE DIVERSE WAYS SENIOR VM MANAGER THEY INTERPRETED THE BRIEF. WE’RE & CHARLOTTE EARNSHAW EXCITED TO COLLABORATE AGAIN IN THE HEAD OF STORE DESIGN UK & IRELAND FUTURE” FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
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EXTENDED INTERVIEW PLACEMENTS (FRA)
Get early access to FRA students across different courses and levels, through our placement opportunities – an extended interview and opportunity to assess real-world skills in the workplace! We offer placements from 3 weeks to 3 months and we’ll support you through the planning process with frameworks to help you prepare.
WHAT PLACEMENTS DO WE OFFER?
Qualifying students are offered a 3 week, full-time work placement during their course. We also offer our degree students an extended part-time placement over 3 months, which sees the students spend 2 days per week on their placement alongside their attendance at the FRA.
CAN I CHOOSE WHICH STUDENTS I TAKE?
We work with our industry partners to ensure that we allocate those students best suited to the available opportunity, taking into account the nature of the placement, the location and the student’s attendance and work completion.
CAN I OFFER A VIRTUAL OR HYBRID PLACEMENT?
We recognise that it may sometimes be difficult to offer a physical placement due to the location of the student or the brand, so we are supporting our students to complete blended placements in some cases. Contact us to find out more about what kind of placements you can offer.
ARE THERE SET DATES FOR PLACEMENTS?
There are certain times of the year that we offer placements to students depending on the type of course. Please contact us for further information on timings.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE PLACEMENT?
Following completion of the work placement, both the student and the brand representative are asked to complete a short feedback form which helps us to ensure that future placements continue to offer value to both the brand and the student.
SUPPORT
If you choose to offer placements, we can support you with a range of suggested content and programmes, to take the pain of planning away from you and ensure you and the student gets the maximum out of this opportunity
DO I HAVE TO PAY THE STUDENT? No, our students have placements built into the course so payment is not required. Brands may consider supporting students with a contribution to travel or lunch. 28
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
MORE OPPORTUNITIES
There are many ways to tap into the bright young minds of our student cohort: with thousands of fashion enthusiasts passing through our doors each year, we can offer unparalleled insight into the attitudes and values of Gen Z as consumers.
FOCUS GROUPS (FRA) Gather insight direct from Gen Z by conducting a focus group, and gain valuable intel on your future workforce and your customer. Focus groups can take place at one of our campuses or your head office.
PRACTICAL WORKSHOPS (LCBT) Spot early talent and raise the profile of your brand to students by offering a hands-on learning experience led by an expert. Sessions typically include live demonstrations, practical tasks, 121 feedback and student insights.
PANEL DISCUSSIONS (FRA) A panel discussion can position you and your brand as thought leaders on key industry topics. Typically featuring 3–4 industry experts in conversation with one of our teachers, we explore themes relevant to students’ learning.
LOCATION VISITS (FRA & LCBT) Showcase your head office environment and boost your employer brand appeal while increasing awareness of career opportunities to students, to support your early careers recruitment pipeline.
EXTERNAL EVENTS Need an extra pair of hands for events? Our students are happy to help at fashion shows, press days, launches etc.
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GRADUATE RECRUITMENT Amongst our vast network of students, recent graduates and alumni, there’s a good chance that we can help you find the perfect candidate to fill your fashion, beauty or retail vacancy. Brands can get early access to meet our students before they graduate at our Careers Fairs – these are extremely popular with recruiters and places go quickly! Whether you are advertising part-time positions suitable for students to work alongside their studies, or entry-level roles for newly-qualified graduates, you’ll find an eager audience. In addition, job vacancies are promoted to both current and former students, giving you access to the best pool of talent to fill your in-store, salon and head office vacancies at all levels. Our Careers team can work with you to make sure your vacancy gets in front of the right people at the right time.
JOB VACANCIES
Advertise your vacancy through the London College of Beauty Therapy and Fashion Retail Academy Careers team to reach both our current students and alumni network of thousands of fashion, retail and beauty professionals. From entry-level and part-time roles to management positions, we can help you reach a highly relevant audience and enhance your team with top talent. 30
CAREERS FAIRS
Careers fairs are held on campus several times a year, offering an excellent opportunity to put your brand in front of our students and talk to them first-hand about careers within your business. We run careers fairs for both head office recruitment and seasonal parttime workers.
FRA & LCBT FOR INDUSTRY
APPRENTICESHIPS, BESPOKE PROGRAMMES, SHORT COURSES info@efitraining.co.uk STUDENT PROJECTS, MASTERCLASSES, PLACEMENTS industry.collaboration@efigroup.ac.uk Electra House, 84 Moorgate, London, EC2M 6SE Tel: 0207 307 2345 Disclaimer: All course information is correct at the time of printing. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our website.