Cytech gets makeover and new courses

The Cytech logo has been re-freshed to promote the launch of a range of new retail focused qualifications and a promotional campaign to convey the benefits of buying from a bike shop.

There’s a new strapline: “The cycle retail standard”, which will be the basis for the ongoing promotion of Cytech to trade and consumers. Two other logos have been developed to support the launch of the new retail training courses and the continuing expansion of the existing technical qualifications.

The new Cytech Retail qualifications will be delivered to the NVQ and Apprenticeship standards. Employers and their staff will be able to select training courses in retail, customer service, business administration, and distribution and warehousing.

ACT has signed a deal with national retail training specialists Touchstone to deliver the new courses in-store from September. Qualifications have been selected at different levels for general shop staff as well as managers and business owners. ATG and PJCS remain in place as providers of all Cytech technical training courses and assessments. 

ACT’s Mark Brown said: “Cytech has been around for a decade and over 2000 people have been through a training course. Now is the time to offer bike shops a range of new industry recognised training options which enable them to continue to invest in their people to develop other areas of their business beyond the workshop. In an increasingly competitive and changing retail market training can help retailers improve their operations and show clear differences from their competitors.”

The new Cytech Retail courses are available to all bike trade businesses, regardless of ACT membership. Touchstone will be contacting businesses from September to discuss training options and funding. All Cytech Retail qualifications are eligible for funding from the Learning and Skills Council.

ACT, the owners of the Cytech brand, plans to launch a consumer promotion in 2007 to educate the public about the benefits of buying a bike from bike shops and establish Cytech as the "industry’s symbol of quality service," said Brown.

Madison CEO Dominic Langan said: “Cytech has massive potential within our industry. Not only can it help individual businesses to develop but it also gives the entire IBD sector a promotional boost by communicating to consumers the essential benefits of buying from a specialist independent retailer; it is all about people and service.”