HAI Certificate in Hardware Retail and Merchanting – Latest update

With all nine modules completed our students have now completed their learning in the HAI Certificate in Hardware Retail and Merchanting, with final assignments to be completed and reflections to be thought of.

The inaugural HAI Certificate is nearing its end, and the students and mentors are all reporting growth in their confidence in their role, whether it’s in interacting with customers and answering their questions, or making suggestions on operations and instore promotions.

The final module, covering Team-Building and Team-Leading, was completed at the end of April, helping students to expand their learning, from the operations and day-to-day activities they’ve covered, to the fundamentals of managing a team.

The full list of modules completed by students are:

Personal Development:
Communication Skills
Selling Skills
Customer Service

Credit and Financial Management:
Understanding Basic Finance
Credit Control

In-Store Management:
Stock Control
Merchandising Essentials

Marketing and Promotion:
Digital Marketing and Social Media

Management Skills:
Teambuilding and Team Leading

Product Knowledge

In addition to their modules the students have also attended a number of Product Knowledge modules. Presented by experts and suppliers in their respective sectors, these modules gave the students an overview of the key FAQs they might face from customers. The modules covered to date were:

• Paint and Décor – Kevin Coghlan
• Timber Products – Michael Minchin, Glennon Brothers
• Garden Products – Niall Nugent, Ames True Temper
• Heating & Plumbing – Declan Conlon, Wavin

Graduation Day

To wrap up the inaugural Certificate, students, mentors and Octabuild members will join the HAI team for a graduation morning, where all students who have successfully completed the programme will be presented their certificate, and will get to meet their fellow students in person for the first time! Coverage of this graduation day will feature in the  May/June issue of The Hardware Journal and on the HAI website.

WITH THANKS TO OCTABUILD AND ITS MEMBERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT

As always, Hardware Association Ireland is very appreciative to Octabuild and its members for their ongoing support as official sponsor of the HAI Certificate in Hardware Retail and Merchanting 2021/2022. As a group of major Irish building material suppliers – Dulux Paints Ireland, Etex Ireland, Glennon Brothers, Grant Engineering, Gyproc, Irish Cement, Kingspan Insulation and Wavin Ireland – Octabuild is committed to promoting the benefits of high quality, Irish manufactured products for the building, construction and DIY sectors.

2022/2023 Enrolment is now OPEN

 If you have an employee or employees who are new to hardware retail/merchanting, and are looking for formalised training in the area to help refine their skills for the future of their career, contact Aoife at aoife@hardwareassociation.ie or call 01 2980969 about enrolling your team today.