The Brewing Apprenticeship Trailblazer is designed to improve educational excellence in the field and is supported by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).
The qualification will be a level 4 brewing apprenticeship (The equivalent of a foundation degree level qualification) and is aimed at helping to create better career pathways for people who have a passion for learning about beer, thereby bolstering success for the industry as a whole.
'An important milestone'
Currently there is no professional apprenticeship scheme in the industry that progresses beyond level 2 (GCSEs grades A*–C equivalent). Other breweries involved in the partnership include Greene King, Five Points, Wimbledon, Fuller's, Heineken and Marston’s.
The Brewing Apprenticeship Trailblazer is chaired by Kris Gumbrell, CEO of Brewhouse & Kitchen, who described the formalisation of the apprenticeship as “an important milestone” for the industry.
“This is an important milestone for the Trailblazer group and we are very pleased to bring this much needed development in Brewing education to the industry,” he said. “We hope to see the standard approved by the IFA (Institute for Apprenticeships) in the next four to six weeks, the trailblazer team will then reconvene to work on ensuring its success in the industry.”
High standards expected
BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds added: “The Brewer Apprenticeship has been developed by industry employers across all levels of production of the nation's favourite alcoholic beverage.
“The apprenticeship will ensure the high standards of knowledge, skills and behaviours expected by industry employers are maintained and, if approved, will provide an exciting, new educational route to bring the next generation of brewers into the industry.”
Brewhouse & Kitchen, along with some of the other trailblazers will be presenting at the Society of Independent Brewers BeerX in March to raise awareness of the new level 4 apprenticeship.