Mirvac has partnered with Tafe NSW for the upskilling of the investment company’s partner retailers, through a customised Certificate III in Retail training course.

Tafe NSW said that retail trade is Australia’s second-largest employing industry, hiring 1 million people.

However, the vocational education provider noted that many retail workers lack the skills needed to drive sales.

Labour Market Insights data shows that around 61 per cent of retail trade workers do not have post-school qualifications.

“We approached Tafe NSW after first-hand experience with their courses via one of our own team members – the idea came to us that we could create something bespoke to help our retailers upskill their staff,” said Alison Flemming, GM of portfolio management for Mirvac Retail.

“Tafe NSW provided a bespoke course designed to suit our retailers, ensuring training didn’t interfere with busy periods and was aligned to the core skills required. We’re really pleased to have been part of delivering this program to our retail partners team members.”

Thirteen students across Mirvac’s nine Sydney centres, including Sunglass Hut and Ikea, completed the course last week.

“Tafe NSW prioritises working closely with industry to ensure that our training meets skills needs,” said Kerry Little, retail head teacher at Tafe NSW. “We focus on providing education that is designed with industry input, to ensure we are providing high-quality, relevant training.”