Blue Arrow Solves Bartender Shortages for Bars and Restaurants in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh
The Challenge
In early 2023, bars, restaurants, and hotels in Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh reported that one of the main barriers to sourcing suitable bartenders was the legal requirement for all bar staff to have achieved Alcohol Licensing and Social Responsibility certification.
The Solution
Recruitment experts across local Blue Arrow branches collaborated to find ways to overcome talent shortages for their clients. With approximately 200 suitable applicants in their candidate community, they identified an upskilling opportunity if they became a training provider for the Alcohol Licensing and Social Responsibility course.
A recruitment consultant with 2 years of experience finding suitable staff for hospitality and catering businesses across the region undertook the qualification process to become a Personal License Holder with Aberdeen City Council Licensing Board. They achieved the qualification, and so became a certified training provider for Alcohol Licensing and Social Responsibility.
The Journey
The Blue Arrow team of hospitality recruitment experts designed a course syllabus and exam paper to ensure thorough delivery of the course content. Within 2 months of qualification, the Blue Arrow Consultant, now an accredited Course Instructor, launched their first training course. Each course session was delivered as a 2.5-hour online session. To optimise course participation, Blue Arrow offered free access to the course. Since the launch of this training programme, 150 candidates have received bartender training.
With most bartender shifts occurring during evenings and weekends, the Blue Arrow team promoted the new course to their existing community of local students.
Through word of mouth amongst their existing candidate community, the Blue Arrow team received interest from international students looking for part-time and flexible work and who wanted to complete the course. Using online accessibility tools, the Blue Arrow course was translated into other languages whilst improving the course content delivery to meet a range of other accessibility needs. 78% of those completing the course have a nationality other than British and owing to the increased accessibility of the course content, we’ve also seen participation from 14% of course delegates who have disclosed having a disability.
The Result
· 150 candidates have completed the course since its launch in April 2023.
· 81% of participants have been placed in work with Blue Arrow clients.
· 100% of candidates have achieved the required pass mark, with at least 85% of participants achieving a pass score of 90% or higher.
· Blue Arrow has filled 100% of clients’ bartender vacancies, supporting many local businesses with their staffing needs.
