When i bartended in Illinois the training was quite eye opening to 21 year-old me. I don't know that anyone else[1] would have told me all the ways i could be jailed, dined, and/or bankrupted from various common bar situations. I don't know that small establishments have the resources to properly find and provide that training either. That knowledge armed me to resist an awful lot of persuasion that I would have bent the house rules for.

Refreshers are nice too because they also have updated info. The second time I did my training I found out that they were relaxing some rules around special events and what was allowed where. Very useful considering the bar was in the middle of where a lot of street fest stuff occured. [2]

1. at the time and place it was the municipal authorities mandating participation, but the material was provided by the state

2. Again, this w as put on by local authorities so it included city zoning and licensing info too.