Short Course

Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA)

Open the Door to Hospitality Opportunities

The RSA course, also known as SITHFAB021 Provide Responsible Service of Alcohol, covers a range of topics, liquor laws, the responsible service of alcohol and harm minimisation.

Responsible practices must be undertaken wherever alcohol is sold or served, including where alcohol samples are served during on-site product tastings. This unit, therefore, applies to any workplace where alcohol is sold or served, including all types of hospitality venues, packaged liquor outlets and wineries, breweries and distilleries.

Obtaining your RSA will require attendance to a one day classroom course at one of our branches.

Novaskill is a Liquor & Gaming NSW Approved Training Provider.

Upon successful completion, you will receive a nationally recognised accreditation and Liquor and Gaming NSW Competency (valid in NSW for 5 years).

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Bartender responsibly serving a drink at a bar

Successful completion of this course will lead to a nationally recognised qualification in Australia.

View this qualification on training.gov.au

Potential career outcomes

RSA training is mandatory if your work duties involve selling, serving or supplying alcohol in NSW.
This course is suitable for people who:
– Are looking to work in the hospitality industry.
– Need an RSA qualification for employment in a licensed venue.
– Are starting a career as a bartender, waiter, bar attendant, or hospitality worker.
– Need to refresh or update their responsible service knowledge where applicable.

Units of Competency

SITHFAB021 Provide Responsible Service of Alcohol

Different ways to study

RSA courses are delivered face to face in a classroom environment with theoretical and practical components.

Duration

This course is generally delivered in one full day (minimum 6 hours excluding breaks).

Price

Get qualified and save when you bundle:
– RSA: $220
– RCG: $180
– Bundle both courses: $349 (save $51)
Bundle pricing applies when enrolling in both courses at the same time.
Price includes the cost of your NSW competency card.

Pre-requisites

There are no pre-requisites for this course.
To enrol in course, you must have:
– never held an RSA competency, or
– have an RSA competency which has been expired for longer than 28 days
See below for more information

Student Support

Friendly support, advice and assistance is provided by our trainers, assessors and branch team members.

Pathways

Many students that complete their RSA also choose to complete their RCG (SITHGAM001 Provide Responsible Gambling Services).
Please note in NSW, all your liquor and gaming competencies expire at the same time – please see below for more information on “Second Competency”.
For those working in hospitality, completing SIT30622 Certificate III in Hospitality is also extremely advantageous.

Awarded by

HGT Australia Ltd. trading as Novaskill RTO Code: 6996.

For more detailed information or specific units of competency/subjects that are covered, please request a Course Guide.

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General information about this course

The unit applies to all levels of sales personnel involved in the sale, service and promotional service of alcohol in licensed premises. Those selling or serving alcohol may include food and beverage attendants; packaged liquor sales persons selling in person, over the phone or online; winery, brewery and distillery cellar door staff; and supplier sales representatives. The unit also applies to security staff who monitor customer behaviour and to the licensee who is ultimately responsible for responsible service of alcohol (RSA) management.

The unit incorporates the knowledge requirements, under state and territory liquor licensing law, for employees engaged in the sale or service of alcohol.

Certification requirements differ across states and territories. In some cases all people involved in the sale, service and promotional service of alcohol in licensed premises must be certified in this unit. This can include the licensee and security staff.

If you’re new to the liquor or gaming industry, also see Liquor & Gaming NSW Get started in training page – which tells you which courses you need to do, depending on your job role and circumstance.

Important information if you have held an NSW Competency card or Interim Certificate for RSA

If your competency has not yet expired or has expired and it is within the 28-day grace period, you are required to complete Liquor & Gaming NSW refresher course available through Service NSW to renew your competency. Completing the full course will not extend the expiry date on your current card or provide you with a new Interim Certificate.

Click here for more information on renewing your RSA or RCG Competency.

If you have lost your competency card and require a replacement this can be obtained through Service NSW. Click here for more information.

If you were issued with an RSA interim certificate within the last 5 years but never applied for your initial competency card, this can still be obtained through Service NSW.

The competency card may be claimed at any time within the 5-years licence period. Many students confuse the interim certificate 90 days valid-for-duties expiry date with a cutoff date to get the competency card, which is not true. The valid-for-duties date refers to the time period you can work with just the interim certificate, after which you must have your competency card to work.

Click here for more information.

Second Competency

If you have both RSA and RCG competencies, the renewal date on your card is determined by the date you completed the first course. For example, if you have an RSA competency card issued on 1 January 2018, it will expire on 31 December 2023. If you complete an RCG course on 15 January 2020, both RSA and RCG competencies will expire on 31 December 2023.

Be aware of when your NSW competency is due to expire. The expiry date is on the front of your card. When renewing though Service NSW you will only need to pay the cost of issuing a new competency card (not the course cost). Each refresher training course takes about 45 minutes to complete.