Scotch whisky qualifications
PERKS OF THE JOB
In partnership with Jane Spurgeon Associates Ltd.
We were the envy of our friends when we announced that we would be working with the Scotch Whisky Association and its members - and rightly so! That said, although it gave us a wonderful excuse for travelling the length and breadth of Scotland, touring small traditional distilleries and vast blending halls - and sampling the product - there was a serious purpose behind the brief.
The task
We were asked to develop a set of customised, work-based qualifications for people involved in malting, distilling, blending and bottling spirits. Qualifications like these (Scottish or National Vocational Qualifications) have been around for some years. They are based on standards set by industry, and they reflect people's competence and knowledge in carrying out their everyday work to these standards.
The method
As well as our visits to Highland and Lowland sites, we set up and ran very focused workshops. We drew on the expertise of the people in the know; that is, those who carry out the work on a day to day basis. From there, we drew up a set of standards written in the everyday language of the industry, against which individuals' skills and knowledge can be assessed.
The results
Another key partner in the project was the Scottish Qualifications Authority, who worked closely with the team, advising on the requirements for accreditation of the qualifications. After a great deal of patient work by Jane, who pulled together all of the information from visits and workshops, the final version of the standards was submitted in Autumn 2006 for accreditation as a set of industry qualifications. In April 2007, the standards were launched, appropriately at the Blair Athol distillery...Slainte!
To find out more, check out the Scotch Whisky Association at http://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk