UCOL training will help combat problem gambling

UCOL training will help combat problem gambling

UCOL is offering the country’s first qualification in problem gambling awareness, in partnership with the Hospitality Standards Association.

The six week certificate course, available on line, is designed for people who work in gambling or gaming establishments, including hotels and bars with gambling machines or TAB outlets.

UCOL’s Dean of Humanities and Business Clive Jones says the aim of the programme is to train employees in the Hospitality industry to identify potential problem gamblers and take appropriate steps as required under the law.

“This is an innovative example of collaboration between a polytechnic and an Industry Training Organisation on behalf of their industry. In this case, the Hospitality Standards Institute recognised the need to ensure a large number of people in the industry received training in recognising and dealing with problem gambling behaviour,” he says.

“Concern about problem gambling is growing in our society. An easily accessible, on line training programme provides another tool to help deal with the problem.”
The new programme has been welcomed by the Charity Gaming Association and the Hospitality Association of New Zealand. Chief Executive Francis Wevers says members of the Charity Gambling Association are committed to ensuring that venue supervisors and managers receive the relevant and appropriate training to support them in their daily roles. “We believe the rollout of this qualification is a key step in ensuring consistency of knowledge across all venue operators in New Zealand,” he says.

Bruce Robertson, Chief Executive of the Hospitality Association, says employees will be able to get the new qualification and put the training into practice. “It will mean venue operators of either gaming machines or TAB agencies will be going a long way to minimising problem gambling at their place.”

Steve Hanrahan, Chief Executive of Hospitality Standards Institute says the process for developing the new qualification has been very robust. “The result is a qualification that meets the combined requirements of workplaces and legislation. Using the NZQA Framework as the basis for learning also underpins the quality and accessibility of the training and enables learners to gain credits contributing to their career pathways."

ENDS

http://www.ucol.ac.nz/online

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