INTRODUCTION TO THE AUSTRALIAN RETAIL COMPETENCY STANDARDS
developed by the Australian National Wholesale, Retail and Personal Services Industry Training Council

THE RETAIL STANDARDS MODEL
The Retail Competency Standards represent the skills and knowledge identified by the industry as appropriate across the full range of Retail workplaces. All the Retail competency standards have been grouped into twelve Functional Areas called Units of Competency, each which has associated elements of competency, performance criteria, range of variables and evidence guide:

1.    Customer Service
2.    Selling
3.    Merchandising
4.    Inventory
5.    Loss Prevention
6.    Employee Relations
7.    Clerical/Administration
8.    Finance
9.    Operations
10.    Information
11.    People Management
12.    Planning

RETAIL COMPETENCY STANDARDS & ELEMENTS
The National Retail Competency Standards represent the skills and knowledge identified by the industry as appropriate across the full range of Retail workplaces. The concept of competency focuses on what is expected of an employee in the workplace rather than on the learning process and embodies the ability to transfer and apply skills and knowledge to new situations and environments. There is a broad concept of competency in that all aspects of work performance, not only narrow task skills, are included. It encompasses the following requirements: performing tasks (task skills); managing a number of different tasks within the job (task management skills); responding to irregularities and breakdowns in routines (contingency management skills); dealing with the responsibilities and expectations of the work environment (job/role environment skills), including working with others and interacting with people outside the enterprise (customers, clients and the general public).

In addition to being based on this broad concept of competency, the standards are: related to realistic workplace practices; expressed as outcomes; understandable to employers, employees, supervisors and trainers.

Each functional area of retail work has been formulated into a standard that has five components:

• Unit of competency
• elements of competency
• performance criteria
• range of variables
• evidence guide

Unit of Competency (Equivalency - TSSB Critical Work Function)
A unit of competency is a discrete component within a standard. It comprises a title, a short description of its purpose and its elements of competency, together with their associated performance criteria. It includes a range of variables and an evidence guide.

Elements of Competency (Equivalency – TSSB Key Activity)
Elements of competency are the basic building blocks of the unit of competency and, as such, continue the description of the unit. They describe, in output terms, things that an employee who works in a particular area is able to do. Elements of competency are logical, identifiable and discrete sub-groupings of actions and knowledge that contribute to and build a unit.

Performance Criteria (Equivalency – TSSB Performance Criteria)
Performance criteria are statements that specify the level of performance. They set out the required outcomes by which the elements of competency and the unit as whole must be performed, to achieve the level acceptable in employment. They comprise general statements, rather than detailed prescriptions and provide the basis for training development and assessment.

Range of Variables (Equivalency – TSSB Occupational Knowledge and Skills, Conditions)
A range of variables statement performs a number of significant functions in the standards system. These include:

• Defining the boundaries within which a given unit of competency and its associated performance criteria apply.
• Providing a link to knowledge and to task or enterprise specific requirements, such as technical manuals, occupational health and safety legislation, business policies and/or procedures.
• Providing a focus, along with performance criteria, for assessment and the development of training programs based on competency standards.

Evidence Guide (Equivalency – TSSB Statement of Assessment)
Its purpose is to guide assessment of the unit of competency in the workplace and/or training program. The evidence guide for a unit of a competency needs to refer to the following:

• Critical aspects of evidence to be considered
• Concurrent assessment and pre-requisite relationship of units
• Underpinning knowledge
• Resource implications
• Consistency in performance
• Context of assessment
• Key competencies.
  

DEVELOPMENT OF THE RETAIL COMPETENCY STANDARDS
The Retail Competency Standards were originally developed in 1995, and since this development they have been regularly monitored and reviewed. The initial development of the Retail Competency Standards occurred prior to the development of the Retail Training Package; the Competency Standards were subsequently incorporated into the Retail Training Package. A number of projects have been conducted throughout the development and maintenance process. These projects were:

Development of Core Competencies
The National Retail Competency Standards, endorsed in January 1996 by the Australian National Wholesale, Retail and Personal Services (WRAPS) Industry Training Council, were the outcomes of the 1995 development of the core competencies required within the retail industry, including:

• those used by retail assistants
• those which relate to the control of stock
• clerical/administrative competencies required in retail businesses
• specialist skills, up to and including the equivalent of management skills as required of a regional or area manager in a specialty chain, a store manager in a large independent store, or an assistant store manager in a large store or supermarket.
  

Specialist Competencies
In 1996 National WRAPS commenced a project to develop specialist competencies in a range of product and service areas. Information continued to be consolidated on specialist areas following the implementation of the National Retail Training Package. In 1999, a second round of Consultation was conducted which resulted in the development of an additional ten units of competency, and the revision of two existing units of competency.

Revised Evidence Guides
In 1997, National WRAPS conducted a project to incorporate the Competency Standards into the Retail Training Package. As part of this project, the Evidence Guides were also reviewed in order to meet the then current ‘standards best practice format.’ The units of competency, the elements and range of variables were not under review. The Retail Training Package (WRR97) was endorsed in 1997.

THE REVIEW OF THE RETAIL TRAINING PACKAGE
The Retail Training Package was first endorsed in 1997 and underwent a review process during 2000 and 2001 and endorsement by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA).  These competency standards are scheduled for review and update in 2005.