A licensee course is a form of educational training that provides participants with an understanding of the laws and regulations governing liquor serving industries. Licensee training is mandatory for most club secretaries, approved managers, and licensees in New South Wales. The licensee course provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of liquor regulation, business compliance, as well as covering essential responsibilities regarding managing alcohol related harm and how to prevent it.
In today’s article, we’ll go over the key benefits of a NSW licensee course, what the course covers, and who is required to complete it.
Who is a licensee course for?
A number of business entities are required to complete the NSW licensee course. This includes bottle shops, hotels, clubs, pubs, along with cafes and restaurants that serve and supply alcohol.
Any entity with a Tier 1 licence is required to undertake and successfully complete licensee training. This includes the following:
- Club licences
- General bar licences
- Packaged liquor licences
- On-premises licences
- Producer licences
- Wholesaler licences
- Small bar licences
- Hotel licences
NSW competency card renewal
Those looking to renew their existing NSW competency card (from 1 April 2019) will need to complete the licensee course.
New liquor licences
Businesses requiring a new liquor licence in NSW will need to complete a NSW licensee course.
Transferral of an existing licence
From 1 September 2018, those looking to transfer an existing licence to another person or premises will need to complete a NSW licensee course.
What’s covered in a licensee training course?
Licensee training courses cover a wide scope. They are designed to provide support for those working within the industry, with knowledge of the following areas:
- NSW liquor laws and regulations
- Responsibilities of licensees, approved managers and club secretaries regarding the management of alcohol-related harms
- Best practice strategies that can be implemented to prevent alcohol-related harms
- How to manage your liquor licence
- Details regarding enforcement and compliance
For more information on NSW licensee training, take a look at the Liquor & Gaming NSW website.
What are the requirements to be a licensee in NSW?
In order to begin your NSW licensee course, you will need to hold a valid NSW competency card. Failing this, you can also hold a NSW interim certificate for RSA that has been issued by Liquor & Gaming NSW. Once you have completed the course, you will receive an automatic RSA endorsement renewal on your recognised competency card.
How long does it take to complete a licensee course?
It will generally take between 6 to 8 hours to complete a NSW licensee course. At Express Online Training, we provide an online licensee course that allows you to complete the training from your own home, so you won’t need to attend a physical location.
Upon completion of your NSW licensee course with Express Online Training, you will be provided with a same-day Interim Certificate that can be downloaded and printed off. This certificate allows you to immediately begin your duties.
What states is the NSW licensee certificate valid for work in?
The NSW licensee certificate is valid for work in NSW. If you are looking to work interstate, you will need to check with the relevant state as to what their specific requirements are.
Advanced licensee course
Businesses operating in higher risk environments may need to complete an advanced licensee course.
Who needs to complete an advanced licensee course?
Those that are required to complete an advanced licensee course can include businesses that trade after midnight or regularly have late-night trading hours. Liquor industry businesses with licence types classified as Tier 2 will need to complete an advanced licensee course. This includes:
- General bar licences
- Producer licences that have drink on-premises authorisation
- Wholesaler licences that have drink on-premises authorisation
- Club licences
- A range of on-premises licences, such as cafes and restaurants with primary service authorisation, public entertainment venues (excluding cinemas), vessels, caterers, institutions that provide tertiary education, small bars that regularly sell or supply liquor between the hours of 2:00am and 5:00am, karaoke bars that meet the criteria, nightclubs that meet the criteria, other licensees or venues as directed by either the Liquor and Gaming Authority or Liquor & Gaming NSW.
What does an advanced licensee course entail?
An advanced licensee course is designed to support those in the liquor industry by providing education on:
- Building a culture of compliance within your business
- An overview of liquor regulation in higher risk environments in New South Wales
- Both industry and government approaches to minimise alcohol-related harms
- Best practice strategies and minimising the risk of alcohol-related harms in your business
Express Online Training offers an advanced licensee course online for those that are looking to complete their training in the comfort of their own home.
Online licensee course NSW from Express Online Training
The NSW licensee course provides participants with an understanding of the laws and regulations governing liquor serving and supply industries in New South Wales. Completion of the course is mandatory for club secretaries, approved managers, and licensees as well as those applying for new or transferring existing liquor licences in New South Wales.
At Express Online Training, we offer a NSW licensee training course that can be completed via virtual classroom. This means you can undertake the course from home, rather than being required to commute to a physical classroom setting. Upon successful completion of the course, you’ll receive an automatic NSW RSA renewal and a licence interim certificate that can be downloaded and printed. There’s no extra to pay for the NSW Competency Card.
We provide fully qualified, locally-based support, so if you run into any issues while completing your licensee course, you can get in touch with us for advice and assistance.
The licensee course NSW from Express Online Training is perfect for anyone who wants the convenience of completing their training from home. We are fully NSW Government-accredited and provide support 7 days a week.
If you require a licensee course in NSW, Express Online Training is here to help. View our online class schedule and book your course today.