We recently ran a merchandising course at WUCT in partnership with EDGE Merchandising Academy, giving local residents practical, job-ready skills for retail — and a real chance at finding work.

Practical Skills, Real Opportunity

Merchandising is often seen as simply stacking shelves, but it's a genuine, valued retail skill. For our community, where jobs are hard to come by, this course offered proper training with a clear path into employment.

This was a hands-on course covering the skills needed on the shop floor:

• Shelf packing and product presentation
• Planograms, stock rotation and FIFO
• Stocktaking, pricing and labelling
• Promotional displays and visual merchandising
• Customer service and workplace behaviour
• Health and safety, and loss prevention
• Basic retail maths

Participants also practiced simulated retail situations, workplace basics like punctuality and teamwork, and CV and interview preparation.

''The merchandise training was very informative and enjoyable. I learned a lot about products, how they work, and how to use the knowledge in a practical way. The training was well presented and gave me a much better understanding of the merchandise. I also received valuable information and resources that I can use going forward. Overall, I gained a lot of knowledge and feel much more confident after attending the training'' Course attendee, Bronzene

LIndakuhle Mgaqwule (above) is the first of our course participants to secure a job.

''I found the training very useful, I am able to spot damaged products, manage PI labels that are missing and do the restocking. I am very excited about this new job!''

What makes this course valuable is what happens after training. EDGE places participants' CVs directly with major retail companies in Cape Town, giving local residents a real shot at employment, not just a certificate.

12 courses with a total of 80 people have attended. Thank you to Gary Bristow from EDGE Merchandising Academy, and to everyone at WUCT who helped make it happen.