Credentials

Facts and Figures

8	Trustees act as the governing body and reflect the Trust’s origins and links to the drinks industry. The Vintners’ Company provides three trustees, as does the Wine & Spirit Association. The other two come from the Worshipful Company of Distillers and the Institute of Masters of Wine.
9	Languages in which the WSET qualifications are available: English, Dutch, Finnish, German, Greek, Japanese, Korean & Spanish
38	Countries where the WSET examinations were sat in 2004/5, from Vancouver to Auckland via the USA, the Caribbean, Scandinavia, Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and Australia.
330	Approved Programme Providers are individuals and centres registered by the WSET to run its programmes.
17,000	Candidates sat one or other of the Trust’s exams in the last academic year.

Milestones

1969
WSET was established, grown out of the Wine & Spirit Association’s Education Committee with the financial assistance of the Vintners’ Company.

Three core qualifications were set up for the trade:

1. the Certificate in Wines, Spirits and Other Alcoholic Beverages
2. the Higher Certificate in Wines and Spirits
3. the Diploma in Wines and Spirits.

1978
First WSET courses in the Republic of Ireland.

1991
First WSET courses in France.

1991
WSET’s remit was extended to include education of the general public, a move warmly welcomed by the trade.

1992
First WSET custom courses in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Muscat.

1993
First WSET Diploma courses in German, run in Austria.

1994
First WSET courses in USA.

1997
First WSET Diploma courses in Japan.

1999
First WSET Diploma course in Australia.

2000
Our three qualifications were renamed to bring them in line with the levels of the UK National Qualifications Framework.

1. the WSET Level 2 Intermediate Certificate in Wines, Spirits and Other Alcoholic Beverages
2. the WSET Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Wines and Spirits
3. the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits

2001
The Level 2 Intermediate Certificate receives the QCA accreditation.

2002
Ian Harris replaces Andrew Paviour as Chief Executive on the latter’s retirement. A new blueprint and five year plan are developed for the WSET. A Corporate Patronage initiative is developed to seek the resources needed to make the vision work.

2003
The Level 3 Advanced Certificate receives the QCA accreditation. A new qualification is launched: Level 1 Foundation Certificate in Wines The New Diploma is launched.

2004
The new Level 2 Professional Certificate in Spirits qualification is launched and receives QCA accreditation. The WSET Global Campus and the Institute of Wines and Spirits are launched.