All individuals applying for a PSA licence in the security guarding and door supervisor sectors are required to submit evidence of successful completion of prescribed training in support of their application. Applicants should ensure that their training provider is approved by QQI to provide training courses. Courses undertaken with non-approved providers or courses not complying with QQI requirements will not be accepted by the PSA.

Under Section 8 of the Private Security Services Acts 2004 and 2011 the PSA may:
 “(f) specify qualifications or any other requirements (including requirements as to training) for the grant of licences,”.

In order to be accepted for licensing purposes the PSA requires that private security courses validated by QQI conform to QQI validation criteria.

Where the PSA has evidence that a course is not being delivered and assessed in the way committed to when seeking QQI validation the PSA will:

  • cease to accept documented evidence of training in respect of that training provider and
  • will delete the name and contact details of that training provider from the list of training providers published on our website and
  • will direct that those who have received a licence based upon the submission of evidence of training in a course not meeting QQI validation conditions retake that course in order to continue to hold a PSA licence