The Scottish Government has been challenged to set up a flexible skills fund from the £12 million it receives from the Apprenticeship Levy to help the retail industry provide a greater range of jobs.
The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) made the call as the British Retail Consortium (BRC) launched a report exploring the journey ahead to create an industry with better jobs – posts that are more productive, higher paid and fit for the future.
The third report in the Retail 2020 series followed documents on structural changes in the retail industry and on attitudes of retail workers.
Retailers from across the United Kingdom, including Scottish businesses, have agreed to work together to share knowledge, learnings, and best practice to improve the industry.
The Scottish Government is considering how best to use revenues from the Apprenticeship Levy. Retail 2020 highlights that the industry will pay £140 million in Levy contributions, with around £12m being passed on to Scotland.
The SRC believes these revenues, contributed by Scottish retailers, should be made available to Scottish businesses.
Ewan MacDonald-Russell, SRC head of policy and external affairs, said: “Retailers are looking to create the jobs of the future. These jobs will be better paid, with more options for progression, and with a greater emphasis on higher skilled and more productive workers.
“The report is more salient after recent figures showing 10,000 Scottish retail jobs have been lost in the last seven years.
“We need the Scottish Government to ensure skills policy, in particular the allocation of the £12m Scottish retailers are paying to the Apprenticeship Levy, is aligned to ensure Scottish retailers play their part in a dynamic and growing economy.”
The BRC report reveals that British retail employs 100,000 people in roles that didn’t even exist five years ago.
Overall numbers of employees in retail are expected to fall over the coming few years, but the BRC says innovative ways of working will create tens of thousands of new types of job including digital artworkers, online merchandisers and even personal stylists.