National Context In general one in 5 manager vacancies are hard to fill because of skills shortage (UKCES 2014) Retail themes attracting talent, image of the sector, employee retention and attraction, customer service management, managing technology and innovation, business development sales and marketing (UKCES 2014)

National Context 60,000 more managers forecast by 2022 proportion of hard to fill vacancies 13% in retail compared to 6% in UK economy Average age of managers in retail below 30 is 18% of retail workforce compared to 9% across the UK economy Private sector workplaces that invest in workforce training raise business survival rates by 13% People 1 st (2015)

Organisational Context – Response to business needs - retention – Talent management pipeline – Transition from sales to management in retail

Academic Response Progression route -L5 60 credits University Certificate in Professional Development (Retail management) -L4 60 credits University Diploma in Professional Development (Retail Management) -BA (Hons) Professional Development (Retail Management)

Teaching, Learning & Assessment approaches Work based learning principles Content delivered via a VLE Curriculum design and assessment crucial PDP Reflection throughout Business challenges

Can work-based learning affect the way in which learners perceive their professional identity? Learner New skills and behaviours Organisation Develop employees and retain talent and reduce recruitment costs Personal changes Relationship with colleagues and managers – reshaping of professional identities University of Derby

Identity ‘A person’s identity is defined as the totality of his self-construal, in which how he construes himself in the present expresses the continuity between how he construes himself as he was in the past and how he construes himself as he aspires to be in the future’. Weinreich (1977) Identity work ‘People’s engagement in forming, repairing, maintaining and strengthening or revising their identities’. Sveningsson & Alvesson (2003)

Development of Professional Identity -‘Professional Identity evolves through - socialisation within work environment, requires observation of role models.’ Ibarra (1999) -the part that identity plays in role transition or career moves, and suggests the notion of ‘identity play’ which is defined as ‘people’s engagement in provisional but active trial of possible future selves’ Ibarra & Petringler (2010) -issues that are faced when becoming a leader that not only involve the acquisition of skills but also a fundamental shift in identity Ibarra, Ely & Kolb (2013)

The story so far… To date - 2 cohorts of L4 – 170 students (pilot) - 10 students on 60 credit top up module - Current 3 rd cohort of 30

Cohort 1 outcomes Out of 119 learners – 84% pass rate – 43% promoted within programme period – 38% ready for promotion within 6-12 months – 79% retention vs previous 75% staff turnover

In the beginning… Learners professional goals were -48% to learn new skills in relation to - current and potential role -94% progress in their career -51% increased exposure within the company -60% to gain more confidence in role -15% to gain a university qualification

On completion….. 93% more confident in work situations with colleagues 94% more confident in work situations with line managers 96% more confident with store managers and above 82% noted changes in relationship with manager 100% change in understanding of brand and job related issues

Emerging themes -Changes to individuals working relationships -Better understanding of colleagues -Positive changes to confidence (less fear) ⁻Improved skills – time management What is impact of the changes on professional identity?

Next steps? More data gathering from current cohort Data analysis to define and explore themes Flexible approach in response to the changing business needs Welcome advice and guidance?

‘I feel I have achieved all of my personal goals and become a more confident, self-aware, participative manager. I also feel ready to apply for a promotion’ The key benefit is talent growth. The learners now have more confidence in their abilities, if you align this to the skills they are learning they are able to think differently about leadership, retail and commerciality. Senior Development Partner ‘I am doing my job because I want to do it and understand why I am doing it’ ‘Reignited my passion for the job and passion to learn’

References Ibarra, H. (1999) ‘Provisional selves: Experimenting with Image and Identity’. Professional Adaptation Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 44, No. 4 p Ibarra, H., Ely, R. & Kolb, D (2013) ‘Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers’. Harvard Business Review. Vol.91. No. 12. p Ibarra, H. & Petriglieri, L. (2010) ‘Identity work and play’. Journal of Organisational Change Management. Vol. 23 (1) pp People First (2015). Management and Leadership needs in Retail monthly insight report. Jan accessed on 3 rd March policy/Research-reports/Monthly-insights-reports/Insights-report-Jan15-Leadership-management- Retail-draft-v2.pdf.aspx Sveningsson, S.F. & Alvesson, M. (2003) ‘Managing managerial identities: organisational fragmentation, discourse and identity struggle’. Human Relations, Vol. 56 No. 10, p UKCES (2014) ‘Understanding Skills and Performance Challenges in the Wholesale and Retail Sector Evidence report 87’. UK Commission for Employment and Skills, Wath-upon-Dearne. Weinreich, P. (1977) ‘Identity development and ethnicity: extensions of personal construct theory.’ Second international Congress on Personal Construct Theory. Oxford, England.