UR, Virginia Tech collaborate to offer Beer Brewer Professional Certificate
In support of the expansion of the University of Richmond School of Professional & Continuing Studies Beer Brewer Professional Certificate to Southwest Virginia, the Virginia Tech Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement published the following press release.
The Beer Brewer Professional Certificate - a non-credit program – is a collaboration between the Virginia Tech Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement and the University of Richmond School of Professional and Continuing Studies. It will guide students through the craft brewing business, including selecting high-quality ingredients, brewing, packaging and distribution. The program will highlight local, sustainable practices by partnering with Virginia suppliers, breweries and distributors.
“When students complete the program, they are prepared to enter the craft brewing industry in a variety of roles,” said Robyn Smyth, program manager for Virginia Tech. “The goal is to give them the skills to make them more marketable or to open opportunities for advancement.”
The certificate program will build on the success of Virginia Tech’s Business of Brewing program, which helps participants turn a passion for brewing into a successful business. Brewery owners and managers who participated in the program stressed the need for quality professional training in southwest Virginia.
The Beer Brewer Professional Certificate is approved by the U.S. Department of Labor and Industry as related technical instruction for the registered apprenticeship program. A registered apprentice who successfully completes the program receives a journeyworker’s completion certificate – a national credential recognized in all 50 states and, in some cases, internationally. The joint program is also a part of the Brewers Association Beverage Educator Summit and Roundtable, an initiative by the Brewers Association to preserve, protect and promote small and independent craft breweries.
The collaboration with University of Richmond, which began offering a Beer Brewer Professional Certificate in 2016, provides Virginia Tech with instructional expertise while adding to Virginia Tech’s brewer education options.
“Virginia Tech’s statewide footprint helps the University of Richmond expand our certificate program,” said Bobby Faithful, program specialist with the University of Richmond. “We hope to help sustain the brewing economy and stimulate the growth of brewing in Virginia.”
The program, which costs $2,499, will begin Nov. 12. Classes will be held at the Virginia Tech Roanoke Center and partnering breweries. Applications and a required essay submission will open in June, with enrollment capped at 20 students. Plans call for the program to expand to the National Capital Region in 2020.
For more information, visit the Roanoke Area Beer Brewer Professional Certificate website or contact Robyn Smyth at robyn@vt.edu or (540) 767-6096.