SCOTTISH bar managers and bar staff are now able to gain the qualifications they need to serve alcohol in Scotland through a new digital initiative from the Scottish Licensed Trade Association designed to increase professional and safety standards, reduce costs for licensees and make training and qualification more accessible than ever before.
In partnership with Pearson, the UK’s largest awarding body for training and learning, the SLTA is launching the initiative to ensure that licensees across Scotland can support staff working towards the Scottish Certificate for Licensed Premises Staff (SCLPS). The service is provided free of charge to SLTA members with the minimum of two hours of training required to achieve the SCLPS qualification, and the all-important certificate itself, delivered entirely online.
Furthermore, in November, the SLTA plans to launch a course for bar managers and supervisors to achieve the Scottish Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (SCPLH) – a legal requirement for those authorising the sale of alcohol or in charge of premises where alcohol is sold – including a minimum of 10 hours of training and the relevant examination.
This will be provided to SLTA members at a cost of £35 –significantly lower than that offered by other training providers – with all the training, the examination and the certificate delivered online.
It will be the first time the entire SCPLH qualification can be accessed and delivered online, reducing the time commitment for staff and making the qualification significantly more accessible for those in rural locations in Scotland.
By moving to an online platform, the SLTA aims to help individuals gain the skills they need and ensure the training is of a consistently high quality.
This exciting development, which has already been trialled, is just part of a range of initiatives that SLTA is introducing to give members the support they need to take their businesses to the next level.
Paul Waterson, SLTA chief executive, said: “The SLTA’s new online training initiative will transform how our members train new staff and skill up existing staff to more senior levels. Maintaining high standards of professionalism and safety are vital to our industry, ensuring licensees provide an excellent and consistent service that meets legal requirements and can quickly help build skilled and motivated teams.
“We’re especially delighted that we are able to provide this training and the resultant qualifications either free or at a cost lower than anywhere else, with a system that is completely online, from training though to certification, and through Pearson, one of the world’s most prestigious awarding organisations.
“This is just part of the SLTA’s strategy to make Scotland’s hospitality sector among the best in the world.”
Chris Reid, owner of Henrick’s Bar and Bistro in Edinburgh, said: “It is vital to continually develop our staff. This SLTA-led initiative is great because it offers a unified approach to training and quality when there are frequent changes to courses and requirements.
“It is invaluable to have access to an easy-to-use, reliable service that is developed and managed by the SLTA – the voice of the trade and experts in legislation. This means a trainee can learn in his or her own time, study and understand at their own rate, instead of having to learn and sit an exam in a pre-determined time.”
The courses are transferable between businesses, so staff members can continue to develop and progress at their own rate.
According to the Scottish Licensed Trade Association & KPMG Business Insight Survey (June 2016), 95% of Scottish on-trade businesses are either maintaining or growing their training.