UAL Level  4  Diploma  in  Merchandising  for  Fashion  Retail  (600/9066/2)    Overview    The  Level  4  Diploma  in  Merchandising  for  Fashion  Retail  has  been  designed  to  provide  students  with  the  knowledge,  skills  and  understanding  necessary  to  progress  to  degree  level  study,  and  also  to  employment  in  the  fashion  retail  sector.      It  provides  an  opportunity  for  those  who  have  an  interest  in  fashion  retail  who  wish  to  explore  and  extend  their  interest  in  buying  and  range  planning  via  a  full-­‐time,  immersive  and  practical  learning  experience  generally  delivered  over  one  year.    The  content  of  the  UAL  Level  4  Diploma  in  Merchandising  for  Fashion  Retail  was  developed  by  the  University  of  the  Arts  London,  and  specifically  the  London  College  of  Fashion,  in  collaboration  with  the  Fashion  Retail  Academy  (FRA).      The  FRA  is  the  National  Skills  Academy  for  the  fashion  retail  sector,  set  up  by  Sir  Philip  Green,  to  train  young  people  to  progress  into  careers  in  the  fashion  retail  sector.    The  FRA  is  sponsored  by  the  Arcadia  Group  (Topshop,  Topman,  Burton,  Miss  Selfridge),  Marks  &  Spencer  and  Next  and  works  with  other  retailers  including  Burberry,  Clarks,  Diesel,  John  Lewis,  Tesco,  Zara  and  many  more.      The  qualification  is  made  up  of  six  units  and  students  must  successfully  complete  all  of  them.    All  units  relate  to  the  fashion  business  and  retail  sector,  all  are  delivered  through  vocational  learning,  and  collectively  they  total  600  Guided  Learning  Hours.    The  qualification  offers  broad  but  in-­‐depth  knowledge  and  skills  in  preparation  for  work  in  the  fashion  retail  sector.  The  qualification  has  been  designed  to  balance  practical  and  creative  skills  with  theoretical  studies.  Work  placement  opportunities  and  industry-­‐led  projects  are  key  elements  of  this  qualification,  and  will  support  students  to  gain  a  comprehensive  understanding  of  employment  opportunities  in  the  sector.    The  qualification  will:  1. Provide  an  opportunity  to  develop  students’  knowledge  of  fashion  in  

relation  to  historic,  cultural  and  contemporary  influences  and  provide  an  overview  of  key  concepts  and  debates  pertaining  to  the  fashion  industry  

2. Enable  the  learner  to  develop  skills  with  which  they  can  make  best  use  of  appropriate  progression  and  work  opportunities  

3. Give  students  the  opportunity  to  consolidate  knowledge  that  has  been  acquired  and  to  develop  the  professional  practice  in  implementing  and  realising  a  fashion  retail  project  

4. Provide  a  range  of  academic  and  practical  skills  to  understand  how  consumer  behaviour  influences  choice  and  quantity  of  purchases  in  a  fashion  retail  context  and  how  businesses  respond  to  increase  sales  

5. Provide  a  coherent  body  of  knowledge  to  enable  learners  to  explore  the  changing  environment  and  influences  on  fashion  retail  businesses  

6. Help  students  understand  the  context  and  overall  structure  and  functions  of  a  fashion  retail  business  from  a  management  perspective  to  achieve  competitiveness,  efficiency  and  profitability  

7. Provide  an  understanding  of  the  operational,  financial  knowledge  and  skills  required  to  manage  a  fashion  retail  business  

 Skills,  knowledge  and  understanding    The  Level  4  Diploma  in  Merchandising  for  Fashion  Retail  will  allow  students  to    develop  a  greater  understanding  of  the  fashion  industry  structure  and  to  develop  a  sound  understanding  of  the  essential  interaction  between  the  merchandiser  and  other  head  office  roles.    Students  will  explore  and  understand  different  merchandising  environments,  and  will  explore  merchandising  for  different  types  of  fashion  business  including  high  street,  brand,  and  concessions,  multichannel  and  wholesale.  Students  will  also  develop  knowledge  of  the  UK  and  global  markets.    Students  will  understand  the  operational  concepts  required  of  the  fashion  retail  merchandiser.  Students  will  develop  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  supply  chain  management  and  the  merchandising  calculations  required  for  this  role.    Analysis  of  fashion  range  planning  and  other  fashion  drivers  will  support  an  understanding  of  the  financial  requirements  and  buying  strategies  required  to  become  a  successful  fashion  retail  merchandiser.  Students  will  also  develop  an  understanding  of  different  fashion  retailers  and  their  specific  customers.      Students  will  develop  knowledge  and  practical  competencies  in  merchandising  software  systems.  Students  will  be  introduced  to  retail  information  management  systems  and  will  develop  proficiencies  in  system  based  merchandising.      Students  will  learn  to  interpret  various  forms  of  data  and  apply  this  to  their  own  spreadsheets  to  understand  the  planning  and  trading  process.  Students  will  understand  financial  information  and  be  able  to  analyse  it,  and  will  learn  relevant  theoretical  concepts.    Who  is  this  qualification  for?    UAL  Awarding  Body  only  approves  institutions  to  deliver  this  qualification  if  they  are  able  to  demonstrate  significant  expertise  in  this  specific  area  of  fashion  retail  and  extremely  strong  links  with  industry.  As  a  result,  only  a  very  limited  number  of  highly  specialized  institutions  have  been  approved.    UAL  Awarding  Body  requires  institutions  delivering  this  qualification  to  recruit  with  integrity  and  on  the  basis  of  the  students’  anticipated  ability  to  successfully  complete  the  requirements  of  the  qualification.      Applicants  to  courses  should  provide  suitable  evidence  of  their  prior  learning  and  achievement,  such  as  related  academic  or  work  experience,  a  personal  statement,  a  strong  academic  or  professional  reference  or  a  combination  of  these  factors.    

They  should  also  demonstrate  knowledge  of  and  enthusiasm  for  fashion  retail,  and  the  potential  to  achieve  a  high  standard  in  the  strategic,  functional  and  operational  aspects  of  the  fashion  industry.    Students  should  be  advised  that  some  university  degree  courses  require  students  to  have  gained  a  GCSE  at  C  or  above  in  maths  and  English.  Students  may  be  advised  to  complete  these  qualifications  to  ensure  they  have  the  best  possible  chance  to  progress  to  Higher  Education.      There  are  no  age  restrictions  for  this  qualification.    The  majority  of  students  are  18  or  over  when  they  start  this  qualification,  with  most  having  completed  A-­‐levels  or  Level  3  Extended  Diplomas.    The  UAL  Level  4  Diploma  in  Merchandising  for  Fashion  Retail  is  not  currently  available  as  part  of  an  apprenticeship.      What  could  this  qualification  lead  to?    The  majority  of  students  completing  the  UAL  Level  4  Diploma  in  Merchandising  for  Fashion  Retail  will  progress  to  higher  education.  The  qualification  will  support  students  to  develop  a  portfolio  of  work  enabling  them  to  progress  to  higher  education  courses  including  BA  (Hons)  Fashion  Buying  and  Merchandising  and  BA  (Hons)  Fashion  Merchandise  Management.    Students  completing  the  UAL  Level  4  Diploma  in  Merchandising  for  Fashion  Retail  may  also  progress  to  employment  in  the  fashion  retail  sector,  specifically  into  roles  in  merchandising,  such  as  Customer  Service,  Store  Management  and  Sales  Management.    There  are  many  related  and  entry  level  roles  in  these  areas  including  Sales  Assistant,  Assistant  Store  Manager  and  Assistant  Sales  Manager.    Who  supports  this  qualification?    The  UAL Level  4  Diploma  in  Merchandising  for  Fashion  Retail  is  recognised  as  fulfilling  entry  requirements  to  a  range  of  higher  education  courses,  either  in  its  own  right  or  alongside  other  Level  3  qualifications,  by  institutions  including:    • London  College  of  Fashion  • University  of  Westminster  • London  Metropolitan  University.   This  qualification  is  also  recognised  as  preparing  students  for  progression  into  employment  in  the  fashion  retail  sector  by  the  Arcadia  Group,  who  are  the  parent  company  of  Topshop,  Topman,  Burton,  Miss  Selfridge,  Evans,  Dorothy  Perkins,  Wallis  and  BHS.    Letters  of  support  from  these  institutions  can  be  found  on  the  UAL  Awarding  Body  website  here:    http://www.arts.ac.uk/about-­‐ual/awarding-­‐body/qualifications/fashion-­‐retail/    

Further information

Additional  information  for  this  qualification  can  be  found  on  the  UAL  Awarding  Body  website  here:  http://www.arts.ac.uk/about-­‐ual/awarding-­‐body/qualifications/fashion-­‐retail/