There are many training organizations out there advocating that their training courses are the best available. Choosing the one most suited to your needs can be difficult and time consuming and you don’t want to spend your hard earned money on the wrong one.
So what should you consider when making this decision?
What do I want out of the course?
Are you after a longer intensive course with a higher qualification as the outcome? This may mean a 6 month, 12 month or longer commitment, maybe fulltime and with a lot of theory and practical content. Alternatively you may be after something that is shorter and more of a practical undertaking. The qualification may not be so high but could still cover the training you need to get working in the industry.
What sort of what work do I want to do?
Are you looking to make a career out of hospitality or wanting to simply gain some employment or an income while perhaps studying or looking for a second job to supplement your income, then hospitality is great for people in this situation!
Long courses may be more suited for those wanting to be in the industry for a career, such as Hotel Management or Hospitality & Tourism. While short courses are better for those who need the basic skills and confidence to get work, including Bar Skills Course, RSA Certificate, RSG Certificate or RMLV (responsible management of a licensed venue).
Where do I want to do the course?
Larger colleges will be city based with their facilities on the one campus and training may be done only in daytime hours. Smaller training organizations may conduct their courses in the suburbs making it easier for access. Also consider that some places will do training in their own facilities or others will use what we call ‘live’ venues such as hotels or clubs who let their venues be used for training of students. This can often be a good thing as it makes the training very realistic and can make for an exciting environment, occasionally employment may even given to the more promising students.
Do I have payment flexibility?
Some organizations will need 100% just prior to the course commencement others may only want a deposit and then give the ability to use a payment plan to pay the balance (even after the course has been completed). This may be helpful as often you are doing the course to get a job and have some income.
Government training organization or private company?
Generally TAFE operates the government educators, however there are also many private companies who have been accredited by government to deliver courses. It is the private RTO’s (Registered Training Organisations) who can sometimes be more flexible in their delivery of content eg deliver at night time or even weekends.
Do I know anyone who has done the course I wish to do?
Obviously a referral of a training organization from a friend is going to be valuable information when choosing who to go with. Ask around to see if maybe a friend or a friend of a friend has done the same course, ask them the hard questions such as what was the trainer like, how were the facilities that were provided, did they get a job soon after?
If I’m unemployed can I do the course for free?
This will depend on your situation, however if you are listed with a Job Service Provider such as Mission Australia or Max Employment you may be eligible to do the course at no cost. Talk to your Employment Consultant to find out more.
As you can see there are many issues to consider and these are only some of the more obvious ones. In summary do your research before you commit and ultimately you will make the right decision and be on the road to an enjoyable time in the exciting hospitality industry.