Let’s Just Tackle the Problem

LET’S JUST TACKLE THE PROBLEM

The fashion trade requires employees with strong personalities. Rather than relying on conventional training methods, Modehaus Schnitzler tries to offer young talent a perspective. An opinion piece by Andreas Weitkamp Managing Director at Modehaus Schnitzler

People say we Westphalians are stubborn and traditional. Yes, we can play football… but only those of us south of Münster. However, there’s one thing we Westphalians are not known for: moaning.

Our industry loves a good moan: about the weather, customers, online trading, innovation, digitisation. The latest topics we’re making a huge fuss about are delivery dates and - of course - personnel. It’s oh so difficult to recruit excellent, young talent. So what to do? Keep on whining? Wait for things to improve? My mother always says that we don’t get paid for waiting. So let’s just tackle the problem, shall we? We must offer young people a perspective, see the situation through their eyes. We need to create an education system that develops personalities. An education in retail has to consist of more than wiping and tidying up shelves. That is a thing of the past. We Westphalians don’t enjoy dwelling on the past. In a fast digital world and in the context of comparable product ranges, it is all the more important to have talented staff. But how should we go about it? Is it more important to teach a trainee how to wipe glass panes, what a size gradient looks like, and how the boss likes his coffee? Or is it much more about showing a young person that our profession combines the most beautiful aspects of three worlds: business studies, psychology, and improvisational theatre!

That’s why the motto of our recently launched Horizon Project is “It’s Bigger Than Fashion”. Every year of their training, our trainees can choose between two partners with whom they complete an internship. They’re as different as we humans are. We can’t teach everything ourselves, that’s certain! For topics such as event management or social media communication,

Andreas Weitkamp is anything but a lone fighter. He is preparing his fashion house for the future with enthusiasm.

which are no longer new media, we require partners who think alike. At a jeweller, our trainees can handle a watch worth as much as 30 winter jackets. At the reception desk of a hotel, they learn how to deal with customer complaints. During a guided city tour, they lose the fear of speaking in front of a group. In Drykorn’s showroom, our trainees can see how the other side of our industry ticks. We found excellent partners, convinced the Chamber of Commerce, reassured the vocational college, and involved the parents. And we listened to our trainees and actively involved them too.

We picked a path that seemed logical. We strive to create added value, draw perspectives, and form alliances. In short: we strive to make training in one of the most beautiful professions more attractive! We take “It’s Bigger Than Fashion” literally. There are more important things than fashion. There are more important things to learn during an apprenticeship than that I like my coffee with cold milk. If we don’t change anything, nothing changes. That’s why we seek change. I hope we Westphalians aren’t the only ones to do so!