Objective

• To train staff and cashiers to serve and sell alcohol responsibly.
• To disseminate practical advice on how to enforce legal purchasing age limits in the on- and off-trade.
• To protect underage people from early and harmful alcohol consumption.

Description

• The online training programme (WBT I) for trainees and workers in the on- and off-trade (retailers, caterers, hotels and filling stations) covers information on the law (e.g. legal age limits for serving and selling of alcoholic beverages, and the consequences of violating it), offers tips for checking a customers age and advice in dealing with drunken behaviour. At the end of the 10-15 minute training a 15 question online test can be performed. If the test is completed successfully a pdf file, which includes a personalised certificate, is automatically mailed to the participant.
• For those who wish, an advanced training (WBT II) is available since 2012. It repeats and deepens the contents of the initial training and simultaneously conveys profound practical examples.
• The online training programme and also the advanced training additionally offer an optional audio support (since 2015).
• Since mid-October 2018, trainees have also been able to complete the "SchuJu" online training course on the protection of minors and alcohol on all mobile devices. The menu navigation and the design of the training content were also improved in the technical relaunch.
• Support materials for trainees and employees in retail, catering establishments and filling stations and also for teachers in vocational schools and other occupational training institutions are available for download/ordering on the dedicated website.
• The Initiative is supported by: leaflets containing practical guidance and tailored advice; information cards for the bar area which provide an overview of the Protection of Young Persons Act in relation to the sale of alcoholic beverages; a badge and an age control disc to help staff quickly calculate a customer's age (minimum 16 for beer, wine and sparkling wine and minimum 18 for spirits). The disc displays the minimum date that should be on the national identity card for the customer to be either 16 or 18. The employee sets the disc once a day to be kept up-to-date.
• In September 2013 three videos were created. They show realistic everyday situations using amateur actors from the different professions to provide practical suggestions and tips to prevent the sale of alcoholic beverages to pupils. The filling station video shows how an impatient customer offering to buy the alcoholic beverages for pupils just refused by the cashier, the bar video shows an older teenager trying to order alcoholic beverages for his underage friends and the retail outlet video shows how to calmly answer when teenagers are trying to buy alcoholic beverages.
• In December 2014 the website was re-designed. The site structure was changed so that staffs of each industry can quickly find relevant tips and implementation examples. It provides a central news section and a download section where the training and information materials can either be ordered or downloaded.
• Since 2013 the off-trade brochure is added to the Grips & Co Brand Training Box (compendium about goods in 33 categories).
• Since September 2019, the Working Group on Alcohol and Responsibility and the Federal Association of Online Retailers (Bundesverband Onlinehandel e. V.) have been offering online merchants, developers and programmers a web-based training course (WBT) on the subject of "Protection of minors in online trading with spirits". Interested persons can register for the training free of charge via the website www.onlinehandel-wbt.de. On approx. 20 pages, they receive an introduction to legal aspects and an easy-to-understand overview of the available age verification systems (AVS) when ordering and the package services with age and/or identity verification. At the end of the approx. 15-minute training course, participants can download a personalised confirmation of participation. 

Partners

Cooperation with

• Federal Association of Teachers for Vocational Education and Training (BvLB - Bundesverband der Lehrkräfte für Berufsbildung)
• German Hotels and Restaurants Association (DEHOGA Bundesverband)
• German Retail Federation (HDE)
• Federal Association of the German Retail Grocery Trade (BVLH)
• German Bartenders Association (DBU)
• Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK)
• Association of Independent Petrol Stations (bft)
• Federal Association of Petrol Stations and Commercial Car Wash (BTG – Minden)
• Central Association of Petrol Stations (ZTG)
• Association of the German Petroleum Industry (MWV)
• Federal Association of Medium-Sized Oil Companies (UNITI)
• Trade Union of Food, Beverages, Tobacco, Hotel, Catering and associated workers (NGG)
• Service Stations Association (tiv - Tankstellen-Interessenverband e. V.)
• Federal Association of German Beverage Wholesale (BV GFGH) 
• Bavarian Association of Gas Stations
• Munich Bartending School (Barschule München)
• Rostock Bartending School (Barschule Rostock) – American Cocktail College
• Saxony Bar Academy (bar academy sachsen)
• German Bartender School
• Federal Association of System Catering (BdS)
• German Association of Towns and Municipalities (DStGB)
• Association of the German Beverage Retailer (VDGE)
• German Carnival Youth (BDK-Ju)

Results

• Since 2007, about 182,770 employees have passed the basic course and about 7,920 the advanced course (until December 2019).  
• Since 2013, 10,000 retail trainees have received the Grips & Co Brand Training Box each year.
• The filling station training video was viewed about 50,650 times, the bar training video about 42,620 times and the retail outlet training video about 46,750 times (until December 2019).
  313,300 leaflets for retailers, catering establishments and filling stations, 52,500 bar cards, 40,500 age control discs for cahiers and 2,700 badges have been distributed (until December 2019).
  The website has had about 1.3 milllion users with about 12.9 million page views since launch (until December 2019).

Measurement & evaluation

An online evaluation took place in November 2013 (590 persons who had successfully completed the training during the previous two years: control group 160 persons):

• Part 1, impact of the training:
  - Age verification was requested around 5.4 times per week (trained) compared to 2.1 times per week (control group).
  - Staff were able to recognise legal purchase age 7.7 times per week (trained) compared to 3.4 times per week (control group) (margin of error: less than 5%).
  - Employees in the retail, catering and filling stations are significantly more motivated after participating in the online training.
• Part 2, trainee opinion of the training:
  - 98% of the trainees stated that they paid great importance to the observance of the Protection of Young Persons Act after training and
  - 59% stated that they ask for proof of age more frequently than before training.
  - The quality of the training was rated at 1.86 (1 the highest), of which 89% gave a "1" and 26% a "2".
  - 84% would recommend the training to colleagues.
  - 61% had gained new knowledge.
  - 57% thought their behaviour in delivering alcoholic beverages had changed.
  - 81% agreed that the topics dealt with during the training were relevant for their day to day work.
  - 90% appreciated the certificate.

Website

http://schu-ju.de

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