What Training Do I Need to Work in a Queensland Pub or Club?

Pubs and clubs are one of the easiest places to get a first job in hospitality, and one of the most common places to pick up extra shifts while studying. They are also where people get the most mixed messages about which certificates they need before they start.

The answer depends on the job you are going for. Some training is required by law for the role, and some is what the venue would like to see on your resume. Here is how to tell the difference.

What training is legally required to work in a pub or club?

If you serve or supply alcohol, you need an RSA. If you carry out gaming duties in a licensed club or hotel, you also need an RSG. Those are the two certificates Queensland law ties to the work itself.

Everything else on a typical venue job ad, including barista skills and food safety, is an employer preference rather than a legal requirement for the role. That does not make it unimportant. It just means a venue can hire you without it.

Which training do I need for each role?

It comes down to what you will actually be doing on shift:

• Bar staff and bottle shop staff: RSA.
• Glass collectors and floor staff: RSA. You are supplying alcohol even if you never pour a drink.
• Gaming room attendants: RSG, and usually RSA as well, since most venues move gaming staff onto the bar.
• Duty managers and supervisors: RSA and RSG, plus whatever the venue’s licence requires of its approved managers.
• Cafe and bistro staff inside a venue: RSA if you serve alcohol with meals. Barista skills if the venue runs a coffee machine.
• Kitchen staff: No RSA or RSG unless you also serve. Food safety training is what matters here.

We cover the fine print on who counts as doing “gaming duties”, and the different deadlines for each certificate, in RSA vs RSG: what’s the difference and do I need both.

Why do pubs and clubs ask for both RSA and RSG?

Because staff in most venues work across the whole floor. A roster that puts you on the bar on Friday might put you in the gaming room on Sunday, and a venue that has to check which staff can cover which area is a venue with a harder roster to write.

Having both certificates before you apply removes that question. It tells a manager you can be put anywhere from your first shift, which is often what gets one applicant a trial shift ahead of another.

Do I need barista training to work in a pub or club?

No, it is not required by law. But plenty of Queensland pubs and clubs run a cafe, a bistro or a coffee station, and staff who can make a decent coffee are useful across more shifts.

Barista training covers SITHFAB025 Prepare and serve espresso coffee. Our barista course also includes SITXFSA005 Use hygienic practices for food safety, which is the food safety unit most hospitality employers look for when staff handle food or drinks. So one course gives you both the coffee skills and a food safety unit on your record.

If you are only chasing bar work, you can leave barista for later. If you are applying across cafes, clubs and restaurants, it widens the list of jobs you can realistically go for.

Can I start work before I have my certificates?

Sometimes, for a short window. Queensland gives staff a set period after starting to complete RSA and RSG training, and the period is different for each. In practice many venues will not roster you until you have them, especially for casual roles where they are choosing between several applicants.

If you already have an interview or trial shift lined up, getting certified first is the safer move. It is one less thing for the venue to chase.

Is there a minimum age to work in a pub or club?

There is no minimum age to complete an RSA or RSG, and under-18s can work in most licensed venues in Queensland. The exceptions and the rules around gaming areas are worth checking before you apply. We go through them in do you have to be 18 to get your RSA in Queensland.

What is the fastest way to get job-ready?

Do the certificates together. At our Capalaba training centre, RSA and RSG run as a combined one-day course, and adding Barista turns it into a two-day package that covers all three. You can also book any of them on their own.

Current prices for each course and the combined bundle are listed in the RSA, RSG and Barista pricing section. If you are thinking longer term than a first job, our comparison of Certificate II vs Certificate III in Hospitality is a good next read.