A responsible beverage course offered by Holland College will provide individuals working in the hospitality industry with an understanding of their legal responsibilities when serving alcohol and educate supervisors and servers about society's values about alcohol consumption.
The "It's Our Business" program was developed in conjunction with and supported by TIAPEI, the Justice Department, Health and Welfare Canada and the RCMP. The course is offered by the college under the authority of the Liquor Control Commission.
"Over 5,000 people working in the hospitality industry have taken the program," says Ken Hicks, Director of Licensing and Security for the commission. "The Responsible Beverage course offers many benefits and teaches supervisors and servers about responsible service and a standard of service which did not previously exist in the hospitality industry."
The program covers a range of topics including: beverage service in changing times; changing liquor liability risks; strategies for business success; server knowledge for responsible service; identifying potential alcohol problems; dealing with intoxications; supervision; developing house policy; fire rules; and health guidelines.
It's Our Business is a mandatory program for all hospitality staff engaged in the service of alcohol or the control of licensed premises in PEI, whether full-time, seasonal or part-time. The program is comprised of one section for owners/managers and one section for bartenders, servers and doormen.
The course will be offered at locations in Prince, Kings and Queens counties on an on-going basis and also at licensed premises upon request, provided that 20 students are registered. The program costs are: owner/manager $25 (four-hour program); bartenders, servers and doormen $20 (3.5 hour program). All employees who enter the hospitality industry must complete the course within 30 days from the date of employment.
"By making the program mandatory the province is attempting to ensure universal compliance, to set a minimum standard of service in the industry and to ensure continuous training at the lowest possible cost," says Mr. Hicks. "We also believe it is important to keep employees in the hospitality industry informed about new information regarding intoxication and changes in laws." Therefore, a renewal course has been developed which must be taken on the five-year anniversary of the original certificate.