Free Door Supervisor / Security Guarding Training for Women

Posted: Sun May 08, 2005 11:27 pm

Evenin all,

Just another little gem from the SIA.

http://www.the-sia.org.uk/home/about_sia/news/nr_050506_ds_sg.htm

Quote:

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) and Lambeth College in South London are key partners in a consortium addressing the growing demand for female security personnel to work in the private security industry. Free SIA approved training in door supervision or security guarding is being offered at Lambeth College to women interested in working in private security.

The fully funded four-day courses lead to a national qualification in door supervision or security guarding and entitle the qualification holder to apply for an SIA door supervisor or security guarding licence. To aid the employment prospects of successful candidates Lambeth College will arrange direct access to security employers through networking events.

SIA Chairman, Peter Hermitage said:

"Women are playing an ever important role in the private security industry, be it working at a busy pub or club as a door supervisor or in one of the many security guarding roles. In fact, women now make up 11 per cent of all door supervisors working in England and Wales. This free training offers women a stepping stone towards a career in an industry that is being transformed and professionalised."

Kevin Faulkner, Project Manager at Lambeth College said:

"Employers regard women security personnel as essential especially in customer-facing roles such as security receptionist, events office or security supervisor. Women security personnel are employed across all sectors. They bring a distinct set of skills to the job and are valued for their customer service qualities and assertiveness."

Now PLEASE don't get me wrong here.

I beleive 100% in the value of female security staff and the special skills they bring to the service.

The only issue I have with this press release is one of discrimination.....

Yep, that's right, discrimination.......in this instance, sexual discrimination.

I'm all in favour of someone getting good training, AND, if it's free, that's even better........BUT WHY IS'T THIS OFFER EXTENDED TO THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS Question

Is there a case here for discrimination Question

Opinions welcomed.

Take care all.
Mike.

Forum Addict Joined: Apr 28, 2004 Posts: 122

i read about this in the latest 'course'.

its a good idea, but fundamentally flawed. women dont work in security for a reason.

many reasons, all of which we've been over on this forum many times. coupled with women being physically less capable (boy am i going to pay for this one Confused

) than blokes...

will free training make a difference..? given that its alread free + paid if you join pretty much any mainstream company...

Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 12:02 am

Hi Spooky,

I take on board what you say about training being 'funded', but find that most companies are recovering their training costs from their employees by some form or another.

The real issue I have here is the blatant discrimination.

Incidentally......I'm glad you made the comment about the fairer sex being "less capable" and not me.

I'm sure you will suffer for that comment my old friend :smt022

Head for the hills mate Exclamation

Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 12:10 am

This is nothing short of a PR excercise for the SIA and SITO who are two of the four main key players in this 'initiative'. As you would expect, there is also a security company involved as well, in this case, Group 4.
So Group 4 are getting free training for prospective employees!

In my personal opinion, this a blatant discrimination. Yes, I can see the benefit of having more trained and qualified female security personnel within the industry but to limit this training to the female gender is terrible - especially as it appears the course are being paid for my the European Social Fund.

I have the numbers for the college in question (020 7501 5641 or 020 7501 5578) so I'll be asking them a few questions on Monday!

Newbie Joined: May 27, 2005 Posts: 5 Location: london

hi ya
i do agree with you that it is totally discriminating to offer this free training just for women. from what i read it was only offered to those who lived in a certain part of london. which i find also discriminating. i have been working in security for a number of years now and have worked with women who are just a good as the men if not better. i have also worked along side men who im afraid to say are hopeless.
and spooky some of us are not physically less capable Very Happy

Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 7:33 pm

Hi deniz, thanks for your post and welcome to our humble website. We hope you'll find a few other topics discussed here that might pique your interest.

Newbie Joined: May 27, 2005 Posts: 5 Location: london

hi ya

i actually came acroos this site by accident. i was looking for a site that i could find other people who are also having problems getting there licence.

Posted: Sat May 28, 2005 6:30 pm

I think the main question would/should be “What would be the outcome be, if this was challenged in legal proceedings?” Wink

Newbie Joined: May 27, 2005 Posts: 5 Location: london

does anyone have the answer to that question? does it not become an infringment on my human rights to work???

Posted: Sat May 28, 2005 7:31 pm

Sadly, the 'right to work' is not covered by the Human Rights Act.

Posted: Sat May 28, 2005 8:55 pm

Can of worms well and truly opened........

Then closed again.........boo Exclamation

The 1975 Sex Discrimination Act

Part V -- general exceptions from Parts II to IV

47.-(1) Nothing in Parts II to IV shall render unlawful any act done in relation to particular work by a training body in, or in connection with-

(a) affording women only, or men only, access to facilities for training which would help to fit them for that work, or

(b) encouraging women only, or men only, to take advantage of opportunities for doing that work,

where it appears to the training body that at any time within the 12 months immediately preceding the doing of the act there were no persons of the sex in question doing that work in Great Britain, or the number of persons of that sex doing the work in Great Britain was comparatively small.

(2) Where in relation to particular work it appears to a training body that although the condition for the operation of subsection (1) is not met for the whole of Great Britain it is met for an area within Great Britain, nothing in Parts II to IV shall render unlawful any act done by the training body in, or in connection with-

(a) affording persons who are of the sex in question, and who appear likely to take up that work in that area, access to facilities for training which would help to fit them for that work, or

(b) encouraging persons of that sex to take advantage of opportunities in the area for doing that work.

So.........whilst I think we all agree it is discrimination, it is not in breach of the Act and therefore perfectly legal in this instance.

Good one for the ladies, I think the opportunity should be made available nationwide..........BUT

I have to agree with deniz -

Quote:

i have been working in security for a number of years now and have worked with women who are just a good as the men if not better. i have also worked along side men who im afraid to say are hopeless.

I'm afraid to say I've been in similar situations throughout my career where I have been perfectly confident in the ability of a female colleague "watching my back" and have been "sh*tting bricks" because the male collegeues were - and let's be polite here - "Useless".

THAT is why the FREE training should be extended to EVERYONE Exclamation

Off my soapbox now.

Stood on it without checking the facts first and promptly fell off Embarassed

Take care all,

Mike.

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:25 am

It IS discrimination; but it's POSITIVE discrimination.

As a woman, I've found it tough trying to get a foot in the door of the security industry, therefore welcome opportunities like these. Incidentally, I applied and heard nothing back from this course provider after our initial phone conversation. Confused

I think they also feel the need to do this as there are so few women in the industry and there needs to be a smaller gap between the number of men and the number of women doing the job, so this breaks down some of the barriers preventing women from working in security.

For me, it was one of the few viable options for gaining employment in the industry as I cannot afford training or an SIA license myself. I plan to apply again, though.

Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 2:33 pm

I just did this course and they've now run out of funding for it so from now on people have to pay £190 for the course.
The people in my group, there were some lone parents there and all sorts of people who could not afford to pay for the training any other way, myself included. There was, in the room next door, the same course, being taught to men, but I don't know and did not ask whether or not they had to pay.

I put it to someone that it could be classed as discrimination, this course, but I was told that it's part of the pilot for the WASPS scheme. They NEED to get more women into the industry and this is meant to serve as an encouragement. I mean, having been someone who went to nightclubs in London regularly in the past, I rarely saw female door staff and so I do think this is a valid scheme especially given the increasingly litigious nature of our country...we need women to search women for the mens' own protection. Confused

Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 5:20 pm

I totally agree with you. Thanks for keeping us up to date Smile

Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 8:23 pm

Hi Lauren,

I must admit that when I first heard of this course last year, I did originally believe it may have contravened the Sex discrimination act.

As you can see from my earlier posting above, it clearly does not.

I am a huge supporter of females in the sececurity industry.....agian, this was mentioned in my earlier posting.

I'm just pleased that one of our own (you) a supporter of the Guild, has managed to benefit from this scheme.

Congratulations and may you go from strength to strength.

Regards to all,

Mike.