Story provided by Meridian Technology Center
There’s more to working in retail than assisting customers with their purchase.
“The retail industry encompasses a wide range of services that begin with the supply chain and end with a satisfied customer,” explained Meridian Technology Center Workforce and Economic Development Project Manager Justin Smola. “What happens in between those two areas can be critical to a store’s success.”
The retail industry annually employs more than 5 million people, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Throughout the Meridian district, the demand for skilled retail workers remains high. To help meet this need, Smola is coordinating a retail training series that is ideal for an entry-level associate exploring the idea of a career in retail and for those already in the profession who would like to enhance their customer service and skill set.
“Retailers are steadily on the path to recovery from the impact of COVID-19. Businesses are open, and customers are ready to make purchases. All that’s missing is a knowledgeable and skilled workforce that can connect the two,” Smola said.
The retail series includes four, four-hour training sessions. Topics covered include an overview of the retail industry, product knowledge, service and sales strategies, and providing exceptional customer service. Each session is $30, or attendees can enroll in the complete series for $99. The series begins with two courses on August 24, followed by daily sessions on August 25 and 26. The first two classes are offered in-person and online.
For more information on the retail series, contact Justin Smola, Workforce and Economic Development Project Manager, at justins@meridiantech.edu. To enroll, visit meridiantech.edu/computer-training or call (405) 377-3333 or toll-free at (888) 607-2509.
Meridian Technology Center has been a driver of economic development since 1975. With a mission to educate, enrich lives and secure economic futures, Meridian offers full-time career training programs, short courses, workforce and economic development assistance and entrepreneurial support to residents from the Agra, Carney, Glencoe, Guthrie, Morrison, Mulhall-Orlando, Pawnee, Perkins-Tryon, Perry and Stillwater school districts. Meridian is one of 29 schools within Oklahoma’s CareerTech system.