Service in Action goes online
Montreal, April 29, 2009 – Louise Nadeau, Chair of the Éduc’alcool Board of Directors, and Lucille Daoust, Executive Director of the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, have launched the online version of Service in Action, a training program for serving staff in licensed establishments in Quebec. The goal of the program is to inform people who work in bars, restaurants, taverns and brasseries about their legal obligations with regard to their customers, and to provide strategies to help them prevent alcohol abuse or intervene when customers show signs of excessive drinking.
Until now, the program has been available only through formal courses given by trainers at the ITHQ and five other hotel schools in Quebec. The new online version makes the program available to industry personnel across the province. People can take the training at their convenience, and the course makes them both more knowledgeable and more employable. Employers benefit from the online program because it keeps costs down and ensures standardized training throughout the industry. People who complete the online course receive the same Service in Action certificate as those who take the conventional classes.
“Training programs for serving staff in licensed establishments are among the most effective means to prevent impaired driving, particularly among such high-risk groups as young people and repeat offenders,” said Éduc’alcool Chair Louise Nadeau. “They also help reduce domestic violence, work absenteeism and health problems.”
Service in Action is supported by the Association des restaurateurs du Québec, the Conseil des chaînes de restaurants du Québec and the Corporation des propriétaires de bars, tavernes et brasseries. That backing is essential and ensures the success of the program. Research shows that responsible beverage service programs can’t get off the ground without the support of the people who run the licensed establishments. Owners and managers must encourage the training and also set clear policy. Training is obviously of little use if employers push their personnel to sell as much alcohol as possible.
“The effectiveness of the program also depends the quality of the training,” explains, Lucille Daoust, Executive Director of the ITHQ. “In 90 minutes, the online version of Service in Action covers all the issues in an interesting and interactive way. It’s an innovative multimedia experience that employs video, questionnaires and common scenarios to teach people the how, what and why of responsible alcoholic beverage service.”
With Service in Action now available online, Éduc’alcool and the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec hope that all licensed establishments will register their employees, managers and owners for the training.
Éduc’alcool
