Why is it so hard to find training?

If you're a licensee looking to find out more about training, what courses are out there, which are the best ones and who they need to be accredited by, then you're going to need lots of luck. And stamina.

This piece was not intended as a damning report of what a confusing mess training for the pub trade is. But steadily in my search to do a round-up of the various training providers, courses and awarding bodies out there, it began to take on that form.

That's perhaps not surprising considering that even Brian Wisdom, the chief executive of People 1st - the sector skills council for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism - described the state of training for the industry as "incredibly confusing" and "very difficult". It is People 1st's role to support the development of skills and training within these industries, so he should know.

Where do you go?​

Many licensees will have heard of the BIIAB, the awarding body of the BII, and may even have sat one of their courses. But how many know whether they are a training provider or an awarding body? How many can name the other awarding bodies and training providers for the industry? How many can say what the QCA and Ofqual are? And, be honest, how many licensees have heard of, or come into contact with such an important body as People 1st?

The answer is likely to be few, and really, why should they? As a licensee, if you start looking into training, you could end up with more questions than answers. If you work under a brewery, pub company or in a managed house, the likelihood is that there will already be a training scheme in place for you. However, if you are going it alone, what then?

Marc Allinson, licensee of freehold pub the Artful Dodger in York, says: "It is a bit of a nuisance, to be honest, that there is not one organisation that you can go to. Most of the training we do is internal, or free through brand owners like Diageo.

"Outside of that it's all a bit messy with the sheer number of companies. I find that they simply run courses to ensure you pass exams rather than actually improve your knowledge and give you the skills to improve you business."

There is a central organisation, People 1st, but some training providers that I spoke to agreed that there is little knowledge in the industry of qualifications outside of the BIIAB. Peter Rosser, a director from Melrose Associates, which offers training in two BIIAB courses and its own in-house course, says that locating training is dependant upon a licensee already having a bit of knowledge about what is out there.

"The BII has a very good website. If you're looking for a course you can search geographically. I guess from the applicants' point of view they need to know to go onto the BII site in the first place. Possibly that's where the problem lies," he says.

So why should licensees care in the first place? "It is a myth that you don't need qualifications to work in a pub. The more qualifications you have the better chance you stand of succeeding," says Cathie Smith, director of the BIIAB.

"It's like any other business, you need to know the tools of the trade to survive, especially in this climate."

That training is important and indeed lucrative for both licensee and provider is borne out by the plethora of courses and qualifications and awarding bodies out there. And herein lies the problem.

Finding what's best for you​

There are courses to cover all aspects of the licensed trade from door supervision, barstaff, through to management, catering and dealing with violence and drugs.

You can source training from a local college, through an awarding body such as the BIIAB, or you may be offered it from drinks brands and other suppliers. Not all lead to a qualification and not all are tailored to the needs of a pub. It is hard to know which ones are suitable, how much they should cost you, if anything, and how well recognised they are.

Brian Wisdom of People 1st agrees. "When People 1st was formed four years ago there were 500 qualifications that applied to the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries," he says. "It's very, very difficult for small businesses to understand.

"There are loads of awarding bodies, and many don't just cover pubs, they cover loads of other businesses. For food hygiene, there are about 14 awarding bodies.

"It can be incredibly confusing because the awarding bodies tend to call their qualifications different names. They are all trying to make money out of awards so they have a vested interest in guarding their offering."

So what should you be looking for? Some qualifications are compulsory, for example. Under the Licensing Act 2003, anyone authorising the retail sale of alcohol has to hold a personal licence. In order to qualify for a one, an applicant must hold a licensing qualification approved by the Government and Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) accredited such as the BIIAB National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH).

Mary Curnock Cook is director of qualifications and skills for the QCA, which works with government and other agencies to reform education and training programmes. From 1994 to 2001, she was chief executive of the BII. She advises licensees to check who any course is accredited by.

"Licensees should select training that leads to qualifications accredited by the regulator of qualifications, exams and tests in England - Ofqual. Check on the National Database for Accredited Qualifications if you are not sure at www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk."

This is great for checking a course that you have already found, but if you don't know the course or awarding body, by which the site is searchable, you can get stuck.

Steps to simplify the process​

However, there are steps being taken to simplify the search for training. Getting rid of a large number of qualifications is something that People 1st is working hard to do, says Wisdom.

"Part of the work we have been doing is to firstly understand what are the qualifications that the industry actually wants," he says.

"Secondly to cull the numbers of qualifications to a level that is understandable, and thirdly to communicate what those qualifications are in a way that people can easily access. All those pieces of work are happening and are subject to improvement. By 2010 we will have cut the number of qualifications to 200 and we will focus on having one name for each award. That will remove uncertainty about which ones are actually meaningful and which ones aren't."

But there is still a very, long way to go when it comes to making licensees aware there is funding available for some courses and qualifications. NVQs, for example, are government-funded.

"The government is spending something in the region of £200m a year funding qualifications for these particular sectors and actually 98 per cent of small businesses have never found them," says Wisdom.

People 1st is, in fact, due to publish two important reports in May, one looking at all industries under its remit and one produced in conjunction with the BII specifically on the pub trade. This will look at how to simplify qualifications and how more can be done to get funding to small businesses.

Right now, the BII is a good place to start to find out if you are eligible for funding, although currently few of its courses attract public money, says Smith. To find out about eligibility for funding, email Saira Kadeer at saira@bii.org.

The People 1st website, www.uksp.co.uk, can also help guide you to relevant qualifications and funding, although Wisdom says the site is a work in progress. He also recommends the BIIAB, as an awarding body specifically focused on pubs, as a good port of call for licensees with any questions about training needs. And People 1st has put together a list of what it sees as the key qualifications for the industry (see box).

So until the qualifications cull of 2010, if you're looki