Cheshire Oaks staff success

Dec 1 2008 From West Cheshire College

Cora

MORE than 25 retail staff working at Cheshire Oaks have been awarded certificates following successful training with CORA, the Cheshire Oaks Retail Academy.

CORA was founded in conjunction with West Cheshire College, JobCentre Plus, Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet Village and Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council to ensure training and employment opportunities for people living in the area – and already the success is paying dividends.

Among the awards presented by Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Andrew Miller were ILM certificates in Team Leading, NVQ Level 2 in Retail Operations, Bronze and Silver CORA awards and certificates for a pre-employment Introduction to Retail course.

Praising the award winners, Mr Miller said: “Businesses only succeed because of the people, and now hundreds of people are going through the training programmes with CORA and partner West Cheshire College.

“This initiative continues to be so successful other parts of the country and are now looking to develop similar schemes.”

Mr Miller was joined at the event by representatives from Cheshire Oaks developers McArthur Glen and staff from West Cheshire College.

Principal Sara Mogel said: “We have developed an outstanding relationship with McArthur Glen who have worked with Cheshire Oaks retailers and encouraged them to sign up to and develop courses.

“We are all seeing the effects of the current economic downturn, but when it comes to an end, the businesses that recover from recession quickest are those that have kept a trained and skilled workforce.

“It is the people who have worked so hard to achieve these awards who will be key to helping our local economy come out of recession.”