NCLR Customer Service and Retail Program

Overview

NCLR Customer Service and Retail Program

NCLR analyzes and supports programs in industries with a high representation of Latino workers, but in which Latinos tend to remain at the bottom of the career and wage ladder. Latinos compose 12% of retail salespersons and 14% of customer service representatives; NCLR is exploring strategies to ensure that job-training programs support relevant skills acquisition and career mobility.

Affiliate Peer Exchanges and Technical Assistance

To advance the work of its Affiliates and ensure that Latino-serving organizations add value to their communities and local retail employers, the Workforce Development (WFD) Program has adopted a capacity-building and technical assistance strategy that focuses on peer learning and information exchanges. Specifically, Affiliates are invited to learn about highly effective customer service and retail programs operated by their Affiliate peers through structured site visits, technical support sessions, and presentations by industry experts.

With funding from Miller Brewing, NCLR coordinated a peer exchange in November 2007 in Los Angeles, California to share Affiliate best practices, engage retailers Best Buy and AT&T in a dialogue regarding careers and skills in the industry, and share training and certification information from the National Retail Federation Foundation.

The NCLR/The Home Depot (THD) National Hispanic Hiring Partnership

The partnership was established to help THD meet their need for qualified, skilled associates ranging from entry-level to store management while providing quality employment and career opportunities for Latinos. On a local level, The Home Depot Store Human Resources Managers (HRMs) and NCLR Affiliate organizations are working closely together to match qualified candidates with specific hiring needs. The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement retailer and second largest retailer in the United States. Founded in 1978 in Atlanta, Georgia, The Home Depot currently operates in 50 U.S. states and in the District of Columbia, ten Canadian provinces, and Mexico. In 1998, The Home Depot opened stores in Puerto Rico and recently opened two sourcing offices in China.

Program Highlights

NCLR has identified and awarded grants to three Affiliates who will work directly with NCLR and THD stores to implement the Hiring Partnership in Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; and New York, New York. Affiliate partners include Para Los Niños in Los Angeles, Instituto del Progreso Latino in Chicago, and Promesa Systems Inc. in New York. In 2007, NCLR and its Affiliate partners exposed more than 4,000 Latinos to careers at THD in select markets and more than 125 qualified individuals have been referred for a position at THD.