It may have attracted the media’s scorn, but the Foundation Degree is good for business, says Charlotte Dennis-Jones

Tesco to launch a bachelors degree in shelf-stacking,” screamed the derisory newspaper headlines at the end of last month. You could practically hear the journalists sniggering as they typed their copy.

Tesco is accustomed to less than positive publicity, but the criticism directed at the supermarket giant in relation to its involvement in the new Foundation Degree seems more than a little unjustified.

It’s important first to clarify a misunderstanding that has emerged as a result of some of the media coverage: the qualification is not “Tesco’s degree”, but the result of years of planning involving Foundation Degree Forward (FDF) – a national body that supports the development and validation of work-based foundation degrees – Skillsmart Retail, The Retail Academy, together with the University of the Arts London and Manchester Metropolitan University, which award the qualification.

Tesco was, however, the only retailer involved in the pilot and FDF chief executive Derek Longhurst says it has been instrumental in “providing advice and assistance in developing a suitable curriculum”.

Following the successful trial, work will begin to devise ways in which the course can be adapted for use at other retailers around the country. The intention is to provide students with retail store management knowledge and skills that can be transferred across the sector.

Secondly, it is not a “degree in shelf-stacking”. Its launch led to criticisms that largely centred on the “further dumbing down of the education system”. But, in reality, the two-year, part-time course teaches a range of retail management skills, including consumer behaviour, in-store marketing, management of information, retail law and retail leadership.

The commitment required from undergraduates on the course should not be underestimated either. Depending on where they live, they spend two days at one of the universities at the beginning of term, as well as one day mid-term. The rest involves up to 10 hours a week of e-learning, which requires them to complete numerous essays, projects and exams.

Tesco UK head of resourcing operations Lorna Bryson says: “They go through the same as a normal student, but they still have a full-time job, so it really can be quite intense. One of the students works nights and had to fit it in around that. We should be applauding these people, it requires real dedication and it proves how much they want this.”

Aside from benefiting the individuals involved, the introduction of the Foundation Degree makes perfect business sense for Tesco, too.

Retail and logistics director David Potts, who started out in retail at the age of 16 as a shelf-stacker in one of Tesco’s Manchester stores, says: “Without a highly skilled workforce we would struggle to compete. Staff who are given the opportunity to get on do a much better job.

“It’s good for the business and this retail degree has been designed by businesses, for businesses.”

Nevertheless, the idea of being able to gain a degree while barely setting foot inside an academic institution sits uncomfortably with some people. Potts dismisses such criticism. “Most training takes place where our staff do their jobs and, as a result, we see a wealth of talent coming through the ranks. It’s also cheaper and has provided us with continuity at all levels,” he says.

“We have to be flexible and innovative in our approach to training. Our staff can earn while they learn and this has shaped our approach to the Foundation Degree. You don’t need a string of A-levels or months away from the shopfloor. Fair enough, we’re learning as we go, but staff who are taking part have told us what a difference it’s making to them.”

Longhurst adds that the idea that such qualifications are less structured or even potentially easier, simply because they are employer-led and work-based, is a misnomer. “The opportunity to study in the workplace is a key element of foundation degrees. Some might say it’s not recognised as a real degree. Let me promise you, they’re not only subject to the same quality assurance standards as any other higher education degree, but they’re also subject to quality assessment and evaluation by the employer,” he says.

Clearly, though, a foundation degree is not for everyone, which is why only those who genuinely want to progress their retail careers are chosen. Nor, at this stage, is it widespread. The first year’s intake of 45 students works out as only 0.015 per cent of Tesco’s entire workforce, never mind the whole retail sector. But it is certainly a move in the right direction and there are plans to increase the second intake to more than 100 people. Tesco’s experience has shown this to be a valuable way to help colleagues progress and, at the same time, retain their talented staff.

Something has to be done to resolve the skills crisis in retail and it would be good business sense for other major UK retailers to look at ways in which the Foundation Degree might benefit their workforce in the future. After all, to use the words of Tesco’s oft-repeated slogan, every little helps.

Zena Vidler
Clothing manager, Tesco Extra, Purley

Vidler is one of 45 Tesco employees who was chosen to participate in the pilot of the Foundation Degree. Her involvement arose following an annual career discussion, in which she outlined her aspirations to progress to a more senior position. After the feedback was passed on to head office, she received a call suggesting she apply.

“I’ve got so much out of this experience: confidence, a global understanding of the business, a sense of how to look more closely at the competition,” she says.

Vidler, pictured above with retail and logistics director David Potts, has put her skills to use on the shopfloor. “We did some work on in-store marketing,” she explains. “I’m on a mezzanine floor so it’s more difficult to bring customers upstairs, but I put price rails downstairs, which helped catch people’s attention. It’s little things like that which can make a big difference and something that we wouldn’t have done before.”

The first year of her course has certainly not been a breeze though, particularly since she has the commitments that come with having two children. “It takes a great deal of planning and time management. I’ll work on Sundays and, if I’ve got a late shift in the store, I’ll study in the mornings,” says Vidler. “But if you’ve got the passion for the business, anyone can do it. This is a real opportunity. I would never have dreamt I could do a degree.”