I think it is time newsagents took ownership of the training delivered about running a newsagency. The five day training course run by the ANF sees the bulk of the money paid by newsagents to the ANF flow to the trainer who, as I understand it, owns much of the course content. Some of the content itself is, as one recent attendee told me, not practical to running a newsagency. I’d like to us develop genuinely valuable training which we as a channel own.
The training I envisage would be in addition to a more formal Certificate IV in Retail, it would be newsagency specific and focus on our unique processes with a goal of helping new newsagents and new managers to better manage their businesses. It is training which could be delivered in modules and be useful through the life of a newsagent.
The content would be newsagent (and not supplier) controlled.
Too many newsagents are doing the ANF training and hitting a brick wall six months later when facing issues they training did not cover yet which are common to our businesses.
The current ANF training has served its purpose and it is time for newsagents to take control.
We introduced online training at Tower Systems earlier this year. Our magazine management workshop has been particularly successful. It covers the technical and operational aspects of managing magazines. That it is online, single topic focused and relatively short in duration means newsagents are able to learn and apply in quick succession – knowing the course will be rerun in a few days if they want a refresher or to discuss what they have done and ask questions.
By the end of this year, Tower will have run more than 130 online training workshops for newsagents. This speaks to the success of online as a delivery platform for newsagent training. Of interest to some will be news that we are about to launch a Mandarin online training course.
Without commenting on existing arrangement, I can agree that what newsagents would gain most from is a course designed to provide them with the business skills to steer them through the changing landscape. We have conducted Pt 1 of a 4 series workshop (sponsored by Nationwide, in NSW) recently, and had really good feedback. (Maybe someone who attended can comment here.) I am NOT suggesting that our RetailSmart program is the answer, but something like it is. (In module 1 we share tips & techniques that could increase net profits by 50%.)
We are also an RTO, and I can unequivocally say that Cert III and IV are most suitable for employees, and indeed that is why the government funds it with traineeship money.
I just read my own comment, and realise it sounds like an advertisement. Sorry, that is not the intention 🙂
I sat through the six training seminars that VANA ran to become an “Accredited Newsagent” As part of the program we received private time with a mentore. I can only say that the time I spent with Barry Jacobs (mentor) was priceless, the nights spent doing the rest of the course could have been better spent sleeping. Most of what was covered was not Newsagent specific, which was supposed to be the whole idea. It was more of a course for the “New to business” person, covering a broard area of the business world. You are on track once again Mark
The ANF doesn’t even own the course material for the course they provide. The trainer does. The trainer I heard gets close to 250k a year for providing the course. Another dud deal done by the ANF.
I’ve experienced part of the ANF training course a few years ago. It was the biggest waste of time I have ever experienced.
I agree, it is certainly not a practical course. You put it perfectly Danny – it resembles more or a “new to business” course.