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Hospitality New Zealand launches new online training platform Hospitality New Zealand has announced the launch of Typsy, a new online training platform that offers staff a choice of courses covering the full range of hospitality categories. Exclusive to Hospitality New Zealand members, it includes access to 1000 video lessons in categories from beverages to service, business, management, compliance, and COVID-19. The courses are customisable by business owners who can set programmes to suit the skills they need, and then manage and track staff progress. Hospitality NZ Chief Executive Julie White says Typsy is a proactive initiative designed to build hospitality’s future workforce in response to the dire skills shortage caused by closed borders and the industry’s historical reliance on skilled migrants. “The Government is not seeing how big the skills shortage is in the hospitality industry, despite our best efforts, and how it is affecting and will continue to affect businesses’ ability to deliver the premium product and service they are renowned for the world over, so we had to do something about it,” she says. “I’m very excited by this programme, which is all about future-focusing the industry to create better businesses with better staff and ultimately be a sector of choice for more New Zealanders. Typsy can be accessed via a free app with the first year free for Hospitality New Zealand members, register at www.hospitality.org.nz/s/knowledge-hub.
July 9-10 WINETOPIA Christchurch www.winetopia.co.nz July 10-11 GINDULGENCE Christchurch www.gindulgence.co.nz/ July 11 WORLD RUM DAY July 26-28 NEGOCIANTS FINE WINE TOUR Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch www.negociantsfinewinetour .com August 6 INTERNATIONAL BEER DAY August 13-14 BEERVANA Wellington www.beervana.co.nz
August 28 CRAFT’D BOUTIQUE WINE FESTIVAL Wellington www.craftd.global/ September 4-5 CRAFT’D BOUTIQUE WINE FESTIVAL Auckland www.craftd.global/ September 7-9 NEW ZEALAND HOSPITALITY SUMMIT 2021 Auckland www.hospitality.org.nz/s/ summit September 9 HOSPITALITY AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2021 Auckland www.hospitality.org.nz/s/ awards
Underage drinking trending downwards We all know that alcohol is an adult drink, but sometimes it finds itself in the hands of a teen. Last year, 57.5% of 15–17-year-olds drank alcohol. As an industry, we say that’s not okay. Young brains are still developing, so it’s important to delay when someone has their first drink. What is promising is underage drinking has been trending downwards since 2006/7, when 75.5% of 15–17-year-olds drank alcohol. We all need to play our part to help accelerate this downward trend – government, health and education providers, communities, parents, and the alcohol industry. As a member of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), we support the actions our industry is working on to reduce underage drinking globally, including symbols or written age restrictions on alcohol drink labels and not marketing alcohol-free extensions of alcohol brands to underage people. It also includes a partnership with digital platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube) to develop new standards of marketing responsibility to be rolled out worldwide to prevent underage people from seeing or interacting with alcohol brands online. In New Zealand, our advertising, marketing, social media and sponsorship activities are strongly regulated through legislation and the Alcohol Advertising and Promotion Code, so we work hard to communicate with people over 18 years of age only.
6 THE SHOUT NZ – JULY 2021
Bridget MacDonald Executive Director, New Zealand Alcohol Beverages Council The industry also supports ‘Smashed’, a theatre in schools programme delivered by Life Education Trust. It has already helped tens of thousands of Year Nine students better understand the negative effects of alcohol and equipped them to deal with real-life situations where there may be peer pressure to drink. Alcohol education programmes in schools are supported by 88% of Kiwis. It’s important for parents and other adults to be good role models for teens as it impacts their decision making and drinking habits for the rest of their lives – we might think we’re doing them a favour by supplying alcohol, but we should do what we can to delay drinking. Cheers NZ (cheers.org.nz) provides handy tips for parents to have conversations with teens and provides information to support them in being better role models. Together, through education and taking practical steps to reduce underage drinking, we can make a difference in our young people’s lives.
