Alvernia University’s Brewing Academy was created in response to the heightened need for skilled brewery workers in today’s modern brewing environment. Based at Alvernia’s Pottsville location, this program features instructors Chris Lampe and Jamie Becker, Ph.D. and is supported by Pottsville-based D.G. Yuengling & Son, America's oldest brewery. The academy is designed to develop skills for the brewery workforce and is not intended for hobbyists. Participants will learn from experienced brewers, experts in the brewing business and some of Alvernia’s renowned science faculty.
Format
The program is delivered in three phases:
- A weeklong residency in Pottsville, where participants will learn from Alvernia's experienced instructors, see the Yuengling brewery in action, and enjoy some food and beer tastings with brewing industry experts.
- Participants will then begin a guided apprenticeship with a brewery near where they live to gain hands-on experience with the topics covered in the residency. The apprenticeship is designed so that participants can complete it on evenings and weekends without having to leave their jobs. Finding an apprenticeship site is the responsibility of each participant, but the university will assist with the search for positions.
- Once the apprenticeship is completed, participants will return to Pottsville for a three-day residency to review the apprenticeship experience, take a deeper dive into the brewing business and celebrate the conferral of certificates of completion for the program.
Audience
The Brewing Academy is a workforce training program meant for people interested in gaining entry to mid-skill level employment at a brewery. Each participant must identify a brewery convenient to where they live or work to complete a guided apprenticeship. Sponsoring breweries will receive an apprenticeship management guide and orientation session from the university. While the apprenticeship is an integral part of this program, serving as a sponsoring brewery should not be burdensome on the business. It can be done in just a few hours per week while adding an extra pair of enthusiastic hands to the operation.
