Further training as a retail specialist: experience report from lecturer Philipp Odermatt - Gaining the skills to take on more responsibility in retail
Please tell us about your career.
My name is Philipp Odermatt. I originally come from the canton of Lucerne, have lived in the canton of Aarau for some time and am a lecturer on the retail trade specialist course at the Bern Vocational School of Retail Trade - bsd. Bern. I originally trained as a car mechanic. I then went on to complete extra-occupational training courses such as the master craftsman's examination and training as a business successor and adult educator. Finally, I was responsible for all training in a large company, from commercial training to personnel management, management and product design. I rounded off my knowledge by completing an MBA. Today I work in the field of training, coaching and consulting in SMEs with up to 350 employees throughout Switzerland. I am a lecturer on the retail specialist course at bsd. Bern because I really enjoy working with young people, exchanging ideas and passing on my knowledge.
Who is the Retail Trade Specialist course particularly suitable for?
The retail trade specialist apprenticeship is a generalist further training course. It is suitable for people who have already completed a retail trade apprenticeship and have a certain amount of professional experience. They should also have the enthusiasm and willingness to do something new and develop themselves further.
What requirements do participants need to fulfill for the retail specialist training course?
For me, two things are crucial here. Firstly, the participants need the appropriate basic technical training as a foundation on which to build. Secondly, enjoyment, fun and a willingness to learn are crucial to successfully completing the retail specialist training course.
What opportunities do graduates have after completing the course?
Students who successfully complete the retail trade specialist course have a large and broad field of activity open to them. Thanks to this broad-based training, retail specialists can be employed in a wide variety of areas - whether at a large retail specialist, in an individual specialist store or in a large company in the area of procurement and logistics. However, they are also industry-neutral for work in the retail sector.
What do students learn on the retail specialist course?
The students at bsd. Bern learn a great deal in the field of retail trade specialist. This includes business management content in particular. The main fields of activity taught in the retail trade specialist course are:
- Act appropriately as a manager in the area of personnel leadership and management and be able to hire and lead employees correctly. This guarantees the multiplier effect for the company through good employees.
- In the areas of procurement, logistics and marketing, retail specialists are able to organize the product range and manage stock correctly.
- In sales and marketing, graduates learn to correctly assess the market, find the right sales opportunities and apply market development methods.
- The finance and accounting section ensures long-term economic success through controlling.
At the bsd. Bern, the Retail Trade Specialist course teaches practical skills and activities. The skills taught include management, procurement, logistics, warehousing, product range design, sales promotion, market development and control instruments.
How is teaching structured in the retail specialist course?
The structure of the retail trade specialist course is very market-oriented. Here at bsd. Bern, it is important that all students who study with us not only acquire theoretical specialist knowledge, but also have both feet firmly on the ground. This is guaranteed by bsd. Bern focuses on methodology and didactics. Theoretical principles can be taught in class as a basis and practical examples can be learned on this basis. We want to show our students that specialist knowledge can also be taught in a fun way. A business management course such as the retail trade specialist course requires lecturers who, in addition to a specialist background, also have a degree in the field of education and a high level of practical orientation and can pass on this experience accordingly. We are affiliated to the KDHS - Competence Center Retail Switzerland - and together we ensure a high standard of training. This means that the retail specialists at bsd. Bern can act competently in the regional, national and international retail trade.
What is expected in terms of preparation and follow-up in addition to class attendance?
Classroom teaching at bsd. Bern is one aspect of the retail trade specialist course. Here we have a clear timetable with lessons that build on each other. However, training cannot be achieved by attending lessons alone. Training as a retail specialist also requires preparation and follow-up work at home. Students are expected to learn short theoretical sequences through personal commitment. Above all, they should be able to put what they have learned into practice on the job. This results in a multiplication effect on the subject matter of the lessons.
What support do participants receive? Are there learning assessments?
The support that the lecturers and bsd. Bern can offer students are relatively complex. The subject matter is only one part of the whole in the retail trade specialist course. It is just as important for us to respond individually to the participants. This means that, before or after the lessons, there are one-to-one discussions with students if required, in which we can deal specifically with individual situations. However, it is also important to always give people the confidence that they will be able to apply what they have learned. We try to integrate this into the retail specialist course with playful learning checks, questions and quizzes so that everyone knows where they currently stand. Preparation for the written examination also takes place deliberately and sequentially through learning field examinations in order to enable students to determine where they stand and to make learning success more tangible.
What makes the training location bsd. Bern particularly interesting for students?
The location of bsd. Bern is very attractive for students as it is very centrally located and easy to reach by public transport. You can get to Bern in a flash from anywhere in Switzerland - even by car, as it is close to the highway exit and there is a parking garage nearby. The bsd. Bern has great charm with a historical background and modern elements. This top mixture inspires and makes it easier for students to learn - also in the retail trade specialist course. When it comes to lecturers, we rely on a mix of independent lecturers with their own business and theoretical teachers from bsd. Bern. This combination enriches the lessons and makes them really exciting. The bsd. Bern offers both the normal retail specialist course over three semesters and the intensive course over two semesters. This is why many people come to us from the Mittelland region or even from all over the German-speaking world.
Why should prospective students choose bsd. Bern?
The way I got to know the bsd. Bern as a lecturer, the people here are really great. Sometimes more theory is taught in the retail trade specialist course, sometimes more practice - together a great overall package. Beautiful premises and the extremely high level of expertise at bsd. Bern itself, because it is constantly committed to the retail trade. In my opinion, this package gives students on the retail trade specialist course so much added value that I don't think it can be replicated anywhere else in Switzerland.
How do you experience the participants?
The students come to the retail specialist training course with respect and reserve. This takes a few lessons and I remember it very well from my own training courses. Afterwards, I always have a wonderful experience: the participants blossom. You suddenly realize how much substance, knowledge and practical experience from all sides flow into the lessons of the retail specialist course. My experience shows: The training is fun. Students take a great deal away with them for their future careers.
How does the organization of the course affect you?
For me as a lecturer, it is crucial that I receive certain guidelines from the school in order to know what and how I should or may act. What is extremely well organized at bsd. Bern is extremely well regulated is the serious, clear and unambiguous guidance of the teaching staff. Everyone knows what is going on. Ultimately, this gives you plenty of scope for introducing your own way of thinking and acting into the retail trade specialist course. Information is imparted professionally, at an early stage and in the right amount. In this way, the teachers on the retail trade specialist course are able to get the best out of themselves and the material in order to guarantee the best possible transfer of their knowledge to the students.
How do the internal module examinations work? And what is the procedure for the federal vocational examination for retail trade specialists?
The examination sequence for obtaining the federal certificate as a retail trade specialist is very simple, clear and transparent. You are well prepared for the five modules during the lessons. Each module is completed in writing. If you pass all five module examinations, you have the basis for taking the federal examination to become a retail trade specialist. This examination consists of a practice-oriented complex case, in which you have to demonstrate your own methods. On a voluntary basis, you can also attend a specific preparatory course for the bsd. Bern for a specific preparatory course for the federal examinations. In my opinion, this is highly recommended.
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