New Qualifications in Response to 2005 Licensing Act
The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 is the biggest change to Scotland's Licensing laws in 30 years. The Scottish Government introduced the Act to "help address problems created by alcohol misuse in Scotland while creating a better environment for the many members of the public who drink and behave responsibly."
A major part of this new Act is the requirement that everyone who sells alcohol must be specially trained by 1 September 2009. So many businesses across Scotland will be looking to train staff now in preparation.
At least one person in each premises must attain a formal license holder qualification. For all other staff members in bars, shops, restaurants and any other licensed establishments, the law now requires a minimum of 2 hours training. This can be carried out by a personal license holder or qualified trainer. For general staff, training does not have to result in a formal qualification, although it is advisable as it will provide proof of training and will be beneficial to staff.
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has developed four new qualifications to cater for these new training needs. Two of the courses have been developed for Personal License Holders and the other two have been developed for anyone involved in the serving of alcohol:
- G8YA 46 - Scottish Certificate for Personal License Holders (On-Sales)
- G8YC 46 - Scottish Certificate for Personal License Holders (Off-Sales)
- G8Y9 45 - Scottish Certificate for Responsible Service of Alcohol (On-Sales)
- G8Y8 45 - Scottish Certificate for Responsible Sales of Alcohol (Off-Sales)
In response, ServeWise and City & Guilds have worked together to develop training programs for staff and personal license holders that will lead to attainment of the above qualifications.
If you already offer these courses, or are planning to, this is an ideal time to make sure they are listed on the National Learning Opportunity Database (NLOD). That way they will be visible on our web sites to licensed businesses needing to train staff in preparation for the change in law. Contact the Information Services team on 0141 285 6100 or email info.services@sds.co.uk for more details.
For further general information on the 2005 Licensing Act and the new qualifications, please see the following links:
City & Guilds Certificate for Scottish Personal Licence Holders