Licensing & regulation
What is a licence-linked qualification?
A licence-linked qualification is the training an individual must complete before applying for a front line SIA licence. Its content differs by licence category, and it must be current.
It is a precondition rather than a formality. The application cannot proceed without it, and a qualification for one category does not support an application for another.
Content has been updated over time, including additions on first aid and on terrorism awareness. Someone qualified years ago holds a qualification covering less than a current one.
Top-up training has been required at points where the content changed, which catches renewing licence holders who assume their original qualification still suffices.
What goes wrong in practice
- A qualification for one category used to support an application for another.
- Top-up requirements missed at renewal, delaying the licence.
- Training records held by the individual rather than by the firm deploying them.