Training: Situation vacant

Are perceptions of the trade changing or has all the recent media hysteria just added to the ideas people have that a job in a pub is no career at all? Hear what the latest research says at this year's Publican Conference.

How many of this summer's school and college leavers will have looked seriously at the pub industry as a career option? Probably not enough. A few years ago the BII (or the British Institute of Innkeeping as it was then known) conducted a revealing survey among young people and those who influence them - their parents and teachers - to find out how they saw the idea of working in pubs for a living.

The predominant view was of a job that was low paid with long hours, and something that didn't really amount to a proper career at all.

The BII's conclusion was that to attract the talent an increasingly demanding licensed sector needs, pubs had to lift their image and better communicate what they can offer young people - a sociable working environment, the opportunity to learn a wide range of skills and a fast track to running your own business at an early age.

So has the industry got better at presenting itself to career seekers? A new survey among school and college leavers, specially commissioned by The Publican, is currently under way. Conducted by Springboard UK, the careers arm of the British Hospitality Association, it is asking the new generation exactly what they think of pubs and the career prospects they offer.

The results will be revealed exclusively at The Publican HR & Training Conference in London on November 3 and they are sure to provoke a lively debate on what the industry should and shouldn't be doing to attract the kind of people it badly needs to meet the challenges of the future.

Have perceptions improved? Do the new licensing laws mean people see the industry differently? What has been the impact of the moral panic around binge-drinking?

On November 3 we'll find out. The survey results will be introduced by Springboard director Anne Pierce and the discussion will be kicked off by the BII's Licensee of the Year Lucy Craig, not only a young and successful recruit herself but someone who is inspiring young people to see working in pubs as much more than a part-time bar job.

Other HR & Training Conference highlights​

• Barstaff panel: voices from the frontline​

What about those who have already chosen to work in pubs? Do they think they're going to stick it? What do they think of their career prospects? What do they want from their employers? Are they getting the right training, the right encouragement?

The Barstaff Panel will give the people in the frontline - the people who are increasingly important to a pub operator's chances of success - the chance to speak their minds.

Erica Harley: It's all an act - how to improve relationships between licensees and their BDMs​

Relationships are at the heart of a successful pub business, none more so than the relationship between a licensee and their area manager. This is the essential conduit through which a pubco can drive towards its own goals, translating mission statements into customer satisfaction at the bar. Yet this is the vital link that all too often snaps.

Erica Harley's training company draws on a squad of experienced actors to bridge the gap between theory and practice in human resource issues by literally acting out what can and does go wrong - and then identifying the alternative behaviours that can build a more fruitful relationship.

Barry Wiss: Entertaining to train​

All the way from California, Barry Wiss has developed a unique free training programme for food and beverage managers working for hotel, restaurant and bar customers of the Sutter Home winery in the Napa Valley.

Barry will tell the story of how he argued for investment in training over many years, how he developed the Vine to Dine residential programme from scratch, how he uses practical and entertaining methods to engage and inspire delegates, and how it has had a positive effect on wine sales.

The audience will be invited to take part in a practical demonstration of his training methods and may be inspired themselves.

Bill Fox: Putting your house in order​

The new licensing regime, door security regulation and the explosion of private litigation have highlighted the rising demands on pub and bar operators to manage and prevent conflict on their premises.

Bill Fox, managing director of Maybo, has advised the BII, the Security Industry Authority and high street retailers and will take delegates through the many challenges they face, focusing on the need to train staff effectively across the business, drawing on other industry sectors and assessing the latest thinking.

Register now​

The Publican HR & Training Conference is part of The Publican Conference 2005, taking place at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London's Westminster on November 3. Featuring Sebastian Coe and the new Licensing Minister, James Purnell, the conference will offer delegates a choice of 25 sessions across the day plus breakfast briefings and an evening reception. For more information, or to register, go to www.publicanconference.co.uk​ or contact Michele Hams on 020 7955 3754 or at zunzf@pzcvasbezngvba.pbz​.