Learning and Skills Council proposes funding support pilot

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) have agreed funding support for door supervisors who take the new SIA approved door supervisor training programme.

The SIA set the training standards and qualification levels of the new door supervisor course which meet the tough LSC criteria for funding. Working closely with the SIA the LSC has proposed a new innovative method of funding the door supervisor training for licensing. This will greatly benefit door supervisors who are about to undertake the new national training.

The SIA encouraged the LSC to identify more flexible ways to enable greater numbers of door supervisors to benefit from the funding support. The LSC will pioneer an approach that will for the first time enable colleges and individual training providers to establish local training networks to deliver increased training capacity.

The LSC funding support will be £102 per individual which will go to directly off set the training fees. Individuals will be expected to contribute a minimum of £51 to the cost of their training.

The funding support is good news for door supervisors, for the licensed trade and for the public. The funding will pave the way for increased numbers of SIA licensed, well trained, professional door staff working at licensed premises. Licensees will benefit from increased professionalism amongst door staff and the public will benefit from the knowledge that SIA licensed door staff have high levels of skill and proficiency.

Door supervisor training which meets SIA skills criteria will be available from November 2003. The new funding arrangements will initially be provided in the SIA’s pilot licensing area - Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Both the LSC and the SIA will monitor the arrangements with the aim of extending the funding arrangements to support the SIA national rollout of licensing.

The SIA and LSC believe the new arrangements will provide the basis for national funding support for the private security industry.