A North Powys shop owner is set to share his industry knowledge and experience when he becomes an 'industry champion; this month,

Llanfyllin Spar owner Mark Prust will support retail staff and students at the specialist college for young people with learning difficulties and disabilities when he takes up the role at Derwen College, near Oswestry.

Two retail students from the college already travel to Spar every Tuesday morning for external work placements.

“I was surprised but pleased to be asked to contribute my retail experience to enhance the work done at Derwen College. I hope to be as pro-active as possible in helping out with discovering and understanding latest innovations,” he said.

“We enjoy having students working here along with learning support assistant Julie Bryan. We have not had to adapt the way we work around them, they have fitted in seamlessly and are a pleasure to work with.”

Derwen College commercial development manager Pete Evans said he was delighted to welcome a new Industry Champion to the college.

"We value the experience and knowledge of businesses and business leaders in the community who can ensure that we remain current in our practices," he said.

Retail Studies Pathway Lead Sioned Davies added: “The role of the industry champion involves being a point of contact for the Retail department. Mark can advise us on till systems and record of stock, as well as offering training support to our staff and students. The purpose of the role is to keep Derwen College –¬ as a training provider – current. This will ensure we are training our students in the skills they require to work in a retail environment after college.”