RETAIL ASSISTANTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 December 1945, Page 3

RETAIL ASSISTANTS

COLLEGE TRAINING PLAN AUCKLAND, December 10. The inauguration of a college for the training of sales assistants in retail trade, on the lines of the Retail Traders’ Training Institute of New South Wales, will be one of the principal questions considered at the annual conference of the New Zealand Retailers’ Federation at Queenstown in February. Miss P. Dempsey, a member of the staff of the NewSouth Wales Institute came to the Dominion last month, at the invitation o< the New Zealand retailers and has since visited the four centres and a number of the larger towns. In an interview, prior to her return to Sydney, Miss Dempsey, to day, said that retailers everywhere have been 'enthusiastic about the scheme. The 1 objective she said, was to raise the status of selling assistants in retail stores, to give them greater understanding of correct sales methods and fit them for the job of giving full and efficient service to the public. The institute in Sydney had been in operation for 10 years, and 2000 students had taken the course, which covered three years. The New Zealand retailers had in mind for the beginning a course of two years, with a correspondence course for student members outside the four main Gentries. It has been recommended that the services of Miss Dempsey be secured for six months, and also those of another New South Wales teacher, who may become principal of the college in New Zealand initially, if established next year. The college would concentrate on the training of four selected students who would later be appointed teachers in main centres. The general practice in Sydney is to conduct classes for juniors from 9 to 10 a.m. in the employers' time, and lor seniors in the evening.