Canadian Retailer - Store 2015 - 48

RETAIL AS A CAREER

RETAIL AS A CAREER
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Retail Council of Canada's commitment to the future of Canadian retail
BY ANDREW HIND
AS part of its commitment to fostering future retail

leaders, every year Retail Council of Canada (RCC)
awards bright, ambitious, young Canadian students
who are attending post-secondary programs with invaluable scholarships to help them in their pursuit
of retail as a career.
There were 21 scholarships in total awarded this
year-one $5000 Interac Scholarship, one $3000 Canadian Retail Hall of Fame Scholarship and nineteen
$1000 Industry-Sponsored Scholarships. Each scholarship recipient also received hotel and travel expenses
to attend the June 2 and 3 STORE Conference and the
Excellence in Retailing Awards Gala.
"RCC'S support for emerging talent is incredibly
important for the retail industry," asserts Rob FischInterac scholarship recipient Nathan Froese and Kevin Rieschi,
er, President of JRoss Retail Recruiters. "As sponsors $5,000
client director, Interac Association.
of both a scholarship and the Scholarship Breakfast
at RCC's annual STORE conference, we get to meet the scholar"I began working at Community Natural Foods
ship recipients. They are always impressive, full of energy, ideas at the clerk level, and even though natural and orand enthusiasm, combined with a track record for achievement. ganic food has always been a big part of my life
They're the kind of future leaders the retail industry will need as and the organization aligns with my beliefs and
it grows through a period of tremendous change and disruption." core values, I didn't at first consider a career in
retail. STORE highlighted for me the many opIndustry boost
portunities within the industry. And as a result of
The benefits to the industry go well beyond the immediate the conference I see so much more potential for
attendees. Recipients go back to their schools and talk to their growth in the retail industry," he explains.
classmates about what they saw and experienced at
the STORE conference. That helps spread the word "The scholarship program is a tangible example
about the potential retail offers as a career. That's of how RCC wants to mentor new leaders. They
something that the industry always needs.
are invested in us and in the future of retail in
"The retail sector employs over 2 million people
and is Canada's largest employment sector but there Canada. It's not hard to be excited by that."
is currently a shortage of skilled managerial talent
- NATHAN FROESE
as a result of explosive retail expansion and the exo$5,000 Interac scholarship recipient
dus of the candidate population to other sectors," explains Jackie Ross, Lead Recruiter at JRoss Retail Recruiting.
Naturally, Froese is also extremely grateful
"For most retail organizations, recruiting is a top priority."
for the financial assistance that comes with
being a scholarship recipient and the profesSupporting future talent
sional exposure that resulted from attending
As the 2015 $5,000 Interac Scholarship recipient, Nathan STORE. But he took something more away
Froese has a unique perspective on the program. Currently a from the experience.
store manager at Community Natural Foods, an independent
"The scholarship program is a tangible exorganic and natural food supermarket chain, he is also pur- ample of how RCC wants to mentor new leadsuing a retail management program from Ryerson online. He ers. They are invested in us and in the future
therefore appreciates and understands retail from both the aca- of retail in Canada," he says. "It's not hard to be
demics and practical perspectives.
excited by that."
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CANADIAN RETAILER | STORE 2015

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