Back to Basics: pub apprenticeships

Apprenticeships still feel a new idea to many in the pub trade. You might instinctively associate them with perverse initiation rites, but it's no longer necessary to tar and feather that young scally of a barman, no matter how much you want to.

With this summer's wave of school-leavers hitting the streets armed with their GCSEs and A-levels, it's a good time to think about attracting some of the talent, and offering a apprenticeship is one way of doing it.

The systematic training an apprentice gets can not only give them the kind of skills they can use throughout their life, it can also encourage them to see pubs as a career.

And you get an enthusiastic, well-trained member of staff into the bargain.

And in what the chairman of the Learning & Skills Council (LSC) Chris Banks describes as "the heyday of apprenticeships", some licensees are already proving that pubs can compete with any employer.

In the 2006 Apprenticeship Awards Sarah Herrick of the Crown Inn, Tur Langton, Leicestershire, was named Apprentice of the Year. That was followed by this year's competition, in which the Crown in Rawmarsh, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was one of three finalists in the Micro Employer category, just missing out on the top prize.

You don't have to have a Crown in your name to run an apprenticeship scheme that can benefit both your business and your staff.There are currently reckoned to be around 14,700 apprentices employed in the hospitality and catering sector. While there is no precise breakdown for pubs, this summer's Publican Market Report survey suggests there is a need for apprentices in the trade with four in 10 publicans thinking their staff lack the skills they require.

And you could even qualify for funding through the LSC's Train to Gain scheme.

Stephen Gardner, director of apprenticeships at the LSC, makes a strong case for licensees taking apprenticeships seriously.

"Apprenticeships are attractive to all," he says. "For employers they offer the solution to recruitment and skills shortages, with apprentices demonstrating high levels of loyalty and commitment. In turn, apprentices benefit from hands-on training, a salary and excellent prospects. More people are choosing apprenticeships as their route to success and higher education."

Walter Combstock, managing director of the Duke of Cornwall Hotel in Plymouth, is a former apprentice himself.

"I firmly believe that apprenticeships are the way forward for the hospitality industry as a whole," he says. "We work in a practical industry where excellent people skills are vital. Apprenticeships are crucial to the success of these businesses as they provide on-the-job learning."

What are apprenticeships?

Apprenticeships are a mixture of on- and off-the-job training that provide individuals with the skills they need for their chosen career while they earn a wage. Employers also reap the benefits of apprenticeships, such as improved productivity and increased staff retention.

Research shows that apprentices earn, on average, more than £100,000 more than other employees during their lifetime. More than 250,000 individuals are currently pursuing this route with more than 130,000 employers across the country.

Apprentices are increasingly going on to higher education while they earn a real wage, often with fees paid for by their employer.

Who is eligible?

Anyone aged 16 and above is eligible to take part in an apprenticeship.

There are two levels:

• Apprenticeships: Equivalent to GCSE level, incorporate a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) to Level 2, key skills and in some cases a technical certificate

• Advanced Apprenticeships: Equivalent to A-levels, incorporate an NVQ to Level 3, key skills and a technical certificate.

How do apprenticeships work?

As employees, apprentices work alongside experienced staff to gain job-specific skills. Off the job, usually on a day-release basis, apprentices receive training with a local training provider such as a college.

Apprenticeships are designed by employers for employers, and are tailored to meet the needs of each sector. Apprenticeships can improve an organisation's productivity and profitability, and are an effective means of filling skills gaps in workforces. There are many business benefits, from low training costs to increased staff retention.

Can an apprentice who is under 18 serve behind the bar?

Under the old licensing laws only those on an apprenticeship scheme could do so. The new licensing regime does not refer to such schemes but allows for under-18s in general to serve alcohol - as long as each sale is specifically approved by a 'responsible person'.

A responsible person is the premises licence holder, the designated premises supervisor (DPS) or anyone over 18 who has been authorised by the licence holder or DPS.

So, effectively, if you want your 16-year-old apprentice to work behind the bar they must be supervised at all times.

No supervision is required, though, if the alcohol is sold for consumption with a table meal or is sold in a premises, or part of a premises, where alcohol is only served to people eating a meal.

Want to know more?​

If you think an apprenticeship scheme can help your business you can call the Apprenticeships Helpline on 0800 0150 400 or visit apprenticeships.org.uk/employers​

CASE STUDY: Dan Smith, the Crown, Rotherham

Dan Smith is one of two apprentices employed by Cath Bown at Rotherham community pub the Crown, which won through to the final of this year's Apprenticeship Awards.

The Crown was Dan's first job. Cath was his next-door neighbour. After his GCSEs he started work collecting glasses at the pub at 17, then went behind the bar when he turned 18.

Now 21, he's working towards his Level 3 NVQ, which will give him some of the skills he'll need to achieve his ambition - to run his own pub."I was put on an apprenticeship scheme after a couple of months at the Crown and I realised then that I wanted to stay at the pub," he says. "It took me about 10 months to get my first NVQ, learning about cellar work and merchandising as well as serving customers, and that encouraged me to stay on longer and make pubs my career.

"I've got my National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders and my Level 3 NVQ will open up more possibilities for me. Cath already puts me in charge of the bar on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

"The training seems to have paid off for me, so there's no reason why apprenticeships can't encourage other people to better themselves too."

Cath agrees that the scheme gives her staff "something to aim for".

"I want my staff to feel there is more to the role than just serving drinks. A qualification gives them the ability to develop their career.

"As an employer, my main objective is to provide a quality service to my customers. And as my staff are the main point of contact, it's essential they are trained in customer service and product knowledge.

"Apprenticeships are the ideal option for me as they cover all the training that my business requires, and allow my staff to train while at work."