Credentials

History

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust – WSET - was established in 1969 in the UK. It grew out of the Wine & Spirit Association’s Education Committee and was set up with the financial assistance of the Vintners’ Company.

The management of the WSET reports to a Board of Trustees made up of 8 members from The Vintners’ Company (x3), the Wine & Spirit Association (x3) , the Worshipful Company of Distillers (x1) and the Institute of Masters of Wine (x1).

The Trust is a registered charity and was created to promote, provide and develop high quality education and training in wines, spirits and other alcoholic liquors for those in the wine and spirit trade or intending to join it. The “trade” is defined broadly, and includes that part of the hospitality sector with an involvement with alcoholic beverages, as well as the more traditional wine and spirits wholesale and retail activities.

In 1991 the Trust’s remit was extended to include education of the general public and a number of Wine Appreciation Seminars and Tutored Tastings were developed.

Since its inception in the UK the Wine & Spirit Education Trust has been based in the City of London, and from 1989 - 2005 occupied accommodation in Five Kings House, at the corner of Southwark Bridge and Upper Thames Street. Due to the increase of staff, WSET purchased their own premises in Bermondsey Street, London Bridge and moved in June 2005.

While there are many wine educators, the Trust uniquely offers a family of highly regarded progressive qualifications. Three levels of qualification were initially offered by the WSET, now known as:

1)	the Level 2 Intermediate Certificate in Wines, Spirits and Other Alcoholic Beverages (previously called the Certificate)
2)	the Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Wines and Spirits (previously called the Higher Certificate)
3)	the Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits.

Two new qualifications were added during the 2003/2004 Academic Year:

1)	the Level 1 Foundation Certificate in Wines, designed as the product knowledge element of a new employee’s induction programme and also as a specific qualification for those in the hospitality and retail industries
2)	the Level 2 Professional Certificate in Spirits, a specific spirits qualification. Launched in February 2004, this new qualification will fill a void in our portfolio and provide a basic level of knowledge of the spirits and liqueurs of the world, to underpin job skills and competencies in customer service and sales in the hospitality, retail, wholesale and spirits industry.

The 2003/2004 Academic Year also saw the introduction of a completely revamped Diploma, bringing this qualification in line with the ever-changing requirements of the constantly evolving wines and spirits market.

In recent years the Trust made a start towards the accreditation of all of its qualifications by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the UK Government regulator for academic awards and custodian of the National Qualifications Framework.

Over the years the WSET has increasingly taken a global dimension and for the first time ever, last year there were more successful graduates who passed WSET Diploma in overseas markets than in the UK.

The qualifications are internationally recognised and a growing number of candidates sit the examinations in their home country.Find out more

Initially designed as qualifications for the trade, a significant number of non-trade candidates now gain the awards at all levels; in some overseas markets they form the majority. Many consumers feel that the trade qualification is likely to offer a more comprehensive and structured approach than the Wine Appreciation Seminars.

The Trust’s next function follows naturally from the awarding body function. This is the design and production of training materials for use by students and tutors as they work to the standards and syllabi laid down by the Trust. The materials include textbooks, video tapes and slide packs, as well as a version of the Intermediate Certificate course on CD-ROM.The final principal function is the delivery of training. The London Wine & Spirit School offers courses at all levels of qualification. The School also arranges Diploma courses at several main centres of population across the United Kingdom; and it can deliver courses at customers’ own premises, if required, as part of a staff-training package.

The WSET School also offers a range of seminars and other events aimed particularly at the interested consumer. Tutored tastings of specific types of wine are offered throughout the year and there are regular food and wine matching evenings, as well as non-qualification courses designed particularly from the consumers in mind.

Over the years the WSET has been proud of its links with the Vintners’ Company. This long standing association has provided the WSET with many privileges, such as

-	the use of the Vintners’ Company Hall for the annual Awards of Excellence evening
-	the generous support of Vintners’ Bursaries at Advanced Certificate level and the Vintners’ Scholarship at Diploma level, one of the most prestigious prizes awarded. These bursaries, together with those from other sponsoring organisations, enable over 50 students to travel to a wine-producing region of their choice.

The Institute of Wines and Spirits, launched in August 2004 creates a professional membership body for students, tutors and graduates of the WSET Diploma and has a primary aim of promoting, providing and developing high quality education and training. Within the Global Campus Diploma graduates will be able to register as associate members of the Institute of Wines and Spirits, and be entitled to use the post-nominals AIWS as well as having access to CPD (Continuing Professional Development) and a substantial range of other benefits.