Tenancies & Leases Guide: The Mac Factor
John McNamara, chief executive of the British Institute of Innkeeping, introduces the Institute's Profitable Business Portfolio.
One of the most intransigent problems in the tenanted and leased pub sector is training. Most pubcos recognise the impact that good training can have on a business and not only offer courses to their licensees but actively encourage them to attend. But many tenants, understandably, find it difficult to spend time out of the pub and, with certain exceptions, the take-up remains disappointingly low.
It is with this in mind that the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) is piloting a new qualification, the Profitable Business Portfolio (PBP).
One of the great things about my job is that I get to travel the country and have the opportunity to meet many of the BII members and in-house trainers who are helping us to pilot the PBP.
Sam Moyse, whose runs the Old Court House in Devon, told me that even though he has been running his pub for nine years the course had helped him to fine-tune and refresh areas in which he had a basic skill - and he's still seeing results on his bottom line.
More than 1,100 people have taken exams and the feedback has been detailed and generally positive, but the most important thing about a pilot scheme is that you can amend the programme and act on the criticisms, which is exactly what we've been doing. We want to make sure that this qualification delivers immediate benefits and adds value as soon as the licensee returns to their business.
By drawing on the experience of a cross-section of people in the industry, the PBP is designed to make our qualifications more manageable for those who can't afford to take too much time out of the business.
What these people want in a qualification is something that is credible, worthwhile and, most importantly, has "professional currency".
The PBP will be officially launched next January and will replace Advanced Qualifications (AQ) which will be phased out. The feedback from candidates who had completed AQs was that although they had benefited from the training, the cost implications of spending three days out of the business, both in time and money, was a big problem. The PBP addresses this.
We wanted to design one qualification that offers flexibility and accessibility. The AQs are very theory based while the PBP draws on people's practical vocational skills and builds on them to help improve business performance.
The portfolio consists of three core modules and 11 optional modules. The core modules are Marketing, Motivating Your Team and Finance and each module has three stages.
In the first stage the candidates are sent a pre-course handbook so they can study the material in their own time.
They then complete a test which they send to their tutor and the tutor reviews their performance and plans the training to reflect the group's requirements and abilities along with individual needs. This test represents 25 per cent of the total mark.
The second stage is the one-day training course where candidates have the opportunity to build on the knowledge learned from the pre-course material and to interact with other candidates and share best practice. The day culminates in an exam which accounts for the remaining 75 per cent of marks.
Results from the pilot scheme so far are telling us we're mostly getting it right. We are carefully analysing all the detailed comments and feedback from students and tutors alike to ensure we capture the good ideas and suggestions.
A significant factor in the take-up of the pilots has been the availability of government funding through the Learning and Skills Council. This is a first for us and we will pursue further funding when the qualification is nationally available.
For more information about the Profitable Business Portfolio you can contact Michelle DeBrett on 01276 684449.
John McNamara is chief executive of the British Institute of Innkeeping, which processes more than 80,000 examination entries for the pub industry each year. For more information on any of the BII's qualifications call 01276 684449 or go to www.bii.org.
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