The first certificates for a brand-new outdoor training qualification for retail staff were presented at Outdoor and Social.
Outdoor and Social, a three-day outdoor learning event, was held at Newfold Farm, Edale, in the Peak District, from March 12-14.
It is an outdoor trade event providing workshops and practical sessions designed to increase knowledge and confidence in outdoor products and skills through experience.
and Social and the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) joined together to implement the first certification scheme for outdoor retail staff in the UK.
and social working with the Institute of Outdoor Learning (IOL) have now made the first step in an educational path to guide specialism through specific modules covering outdoor categories.
And Social Co-Founder, Adam Renshaw, said: “Improving the level of education through training in the outdoor industry is something we at and Social are committed to. Bringing together the OIA and IO.”
The learning sessions available at Edale was the first phase of an education and training system specifically designed for outdoor retail staff, and which will be recognised by the Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL) and the Outdoor Industries Association (OIA).
The IOL is the professional body for organisations and individuals who use the outdoors to make a positive difference to others.
At the event top brands such as Vango, Osprey and Montane provided dedicated educational sessions, briefing outdoor retail staff on everything they needed to know to be able to explain, promote and sell their products knowledgeably and confidently.
Topics covered included items like footwear (shoes vs boots, differing sole units and stiffness, basic orthotics, socks, laces and boot bags and footwear aftercare) and sleeping bags (materials, liners, volume, mats, shapes, robustness, packing and storing, care and maintenance), tents, clothing, cooking systems and so on.
Attendees who completed the sessions over the duration of the event not only greatly enhanced their outdoor product knowledge but also received a certificate in recognition of completion of the training, endorsed by the OIA and IOL.
Certificate holders can also be assured they are firmly on the first step of the ladder of a Continued Professional Development programme that will help them upskill, strengthen the image of outdoor retail staff as a profession and enhance their own career paths.
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