AS Watson Group Retail Academy Qualifications Framework (QF) Recognised Qualifications Presentation Ceremony was held in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today. AS Watson Group Retail Academy is proud to nurture more than 5,200 retail talents in the past five years, providing them with an opportunity to apply their learning to work and develop their own retail career paths.
AS Watson Group has always been people-oriented, devoting substantial resources to staff training by fully subsidising potential talents for the "Professional Diploma in Retail Management" (including the QF level 4 & 5 programme), and providing paid leave for employees to attend classes during working hours. The Qualifications Presentation Ceremony was hosted by AS Watson Group today, where a total of 70 employees were recognised, of whom 52 were recognised for their accomplishments at the QF Level 4 (equivalent to an Associate Degree level) and 18 achieved QF level 5 (equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree), embarking on their journey towards the goal of becoming an outstanding retail practitioner.
In 2013, AS Watson Group became the first company in the retail sector to offer its staff professional and comprehensive courses recognised by the QF. Over the last 10 years, AS Watson Group has provided comprehensive professional training for staff across PARKnSHOP, Watsons, FORTRESS and Watson’s Wine. In 2016, AS Watson Group launched the industry’s first "Professional Diploma in Retail Management", designed with "The Specification of Competency Standards". In 2018, AS Watson Group established Hong Kong’s first retail academy. Since then, the academy has witnessed more than 5,200 employees who completed the recognised programmes, accumulating over 1.6 million hours of learning, setting the new standard for retail.
Since then, all store managers in more than 500 retail stores have obtained qualifications of QF level 4, and 85 employees have achieved QF level 5, proving that employees of different backgrounds and academic qualifications can gain professional recognition in their retail careers.
Dr. Malina Ngai, Group CEO of AS Watson, remarked at the presentation ceremony, "Founded in Hong Kong for over 180 years, AS Watson’s goal is not only emphasising company development, but also serving as a vital platform for every colleague to develop, so that they can fully realise their potential and grow alongside with the Group. As such, we were pioneers in introducing qualifications framework courses and establishing the first retail academy. To nurture future leaders of retail in Hong Kong, we were the first in the industry to launch the ‘Professional Diploma in Retail Management’, which is equivalent to a bachelor's degree level. We believe that through ongoing learning, each of our colleagues can realise their potential, embrace opportunities and overcome challenges together."
Dr. Keith Chau, Senior Continuing Education Consultant at PolyU SPEED, said, “This QF Recognised Qualifications Presentation Ceremony showcases the seamless collaboration between the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and AS Watson Group, and witnesses our efforts in talent development in these 8 years. The achievements of the graduates fully demonstrate the excellent results from this collaboration and lay the foundation for future careers in retail. With the rapid advancement of technology, continuous learning will be key to success in the future. We look forward to seeing graduates to push the boundaries and join hands to create a better tomorrow.”
AS Watson Group will continue to invest in talent nurturing and is committed to providing 200,000 job opportunities and 5 million hours of training for young people globally by 2030, offering various learning and experiential opportunities to employees and nurturing them to become future leaders in the retail industry.
