EASTSIDE : Retail Program Really Registers

In her locker at Roosevelt High School, Olivia Cervantes, 17, keeps a book titled “Marketing Essentials” along with her textbooks and pencils. The high school senior is in a special program that teaches nearly 200 high school students about the retail merchandise business.

The Retail Training Program is a city- and state-funded program offered at Dorsey, Belmont, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Fremont high schools, and is taught by former industry employees. According to the director, Larry Kozoll, the two-year-old program’s objective is twofold: Keep students in school and introduce them to a possible career.

In addition to regular classes, the students spend three hours a week learning such things as how to interview for a job, how to handle an angry customer and the finer points of taking inventory.

The teachers arrange job interviews with local businesses so students have a chance to practice what they have studied. To be eligible for the interviews, the students must stay in school.

About 50% of the students enrolled in the program have part-time jobs at companies such as The Gap, K mart, Fedco, Sav-On drugstores and Vons.

Cervantes works as a sales representative three days a week at the Millers Outpost clothing store in Pico Rivera.

“We learned everything, from marketing to how to talk to customers,” said Cervantes, who wants to go to college and study retail management. “Our teacher gave us confidence and knowledge.”

Madeline Drake, who teaches the retail class at Lincoln High, said she instills a work ethic to help her students in whatever they decide to do in life.

“Even if your job is mopping a floor, I tell them to do it great. And in time, people will see their determination and work, and people will want to help them,” Drake said. “To render more and better service than expected will eventually lead to getting better jobs.”

Employers speak highly about the program.

“It’s a win-win situation,” said Roy Olofson, executive vice president of Fedco. “The students win because they are encouraged to stay in high school and get firsthand work experience and the retailers win because we get some highly motivated people to fill jobs and hopefully become future managers.”