My eldest daughter recently started university. If all goes

In my spare time I am a governor of our local secondary school. From time to time I help out with events they run, one of which is a Careers Fair, aimed at fifth and sixth formers contemplating life after school ­ whether to go into a job or what course to take at university. With student debt growing like the budget deficit of Uzbekistan, that decision is a critical one. Law pays, barwork doesn't. And there lies the nub of the problem. How do we make careers, graduate calibre ones, attractive in the licensed retailing industry? Because the future success of this business depends on having a flow of bright, young, energetic graduates who will run the bars, community pubs and pub companies of the future. The opportunities should be immense, because pub retailing is a dynamic £24bn industry that employs nearly 900,000 people. I asked the BII, who have done tremendous work in developing the qualifications and training side of the industry, if they've got materials I could use for the Careers Fair. There's a small amount of written stuff, mostly about qualifications and membership. All the exciting information is tucked away on the barzone.co.uk website, although some is quite dated. Pub retailing is part of the wider world of hospitality and leisure and we compete with hotels, restaurants and health club operators for the discretionary pound, as well as for the best recruits. Some of our biggest industry names sponsor Springboard UK, an organisation that promotes all those sectors, plus entertainment and tourism, to school, college and university students. Their first-rate information, careers and training guides, case studies, website and interactive CD's project an appealing and interesting image of this varied working world. So, why don't more pub retailers make use of Springboard's dynamic approach that earns 9/10 for style and content? W&DB took on six graduates recently. They've been gaining the wide experience and BIIAB qualifications they need to take on their new jobs as fully-fledged members of our team. I asked Kate, who is working in our Customer Services before she takes on a marketing role, why she chose this industry. "I can relate to it. I enjoyed going to bars as a student. They'll always be around so it's future-proofed. But mostly because pubs and bars are fun and if I'm going to be working hard, I don't want it to be boring". She's seen that working in pub retailing is not just a pocket-money job to pay off a student loan, but that it offers a genuinely satisfying career choice, as diverse and rich as any in accountancy, journalism or perhaps even being called to the bar. Let's all drink to that!