 |
A Quiet Funeral Are they qualified? |
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death" | ||
| Funeral What to do first Non religious services Save a fortune Before it happens Make it personal How to complain Details Of mice & men Snippets
|
Well, that’s a difficult question. If we talk about paper certification, which is very popular in the UK today, the answer must frequently be a resounding no. Most funeral directors would once have aspired to obtaining the Diploma in Funeral Directing (look for Dip FD on the business card) which is administered by the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD). A very worthwhile qualification, it covers all aspects of funeral work, from basic office procedures through to arrangement interviews. The year long course finishes with a grueling session of examinations conducted by long standing and very experienced funeral directors from the association itself. But the funeral industry does seem to love it's organisations and associations and there is a veritable gaggle of them about today, most with their own form of certification and standard for the lowly funeral director to strive towards. There is also a BTEC certificate available in funeral directing which can be obtained following a period of work related experience gained at a suitable placement. Assessment is undertaken by a suitably qualified person, more usually a funeral director, themselves. There is a NVQ available for Funeral Services at levels 2 and 3, and newly recognised national occupational standards for Funeral Services Management at level 4. Most of the drivers will have been employed following a brief interview process but very few will have been formally trained on cortege driving techniques or presentation work. Instruction is often given for the first time, during an actual funeral and is delivered via "stage whisper". A lot of staff are taken on simply because they are known to an existing employee or are even related to someone already in the firm. There appears to be a growing tendency, in the large companies at least, towards intensive staff sales training. This is merely preparation for increased productivity and the techniques to gain it through high pressure sales and should never be confused with genuine funeral work. |
LINKS
The disclaimer bit Persons acting upon information gained from these pages or personal contact do so at their own risk. No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of any information contained herein. |
