Page 7 - Aruba Today

U.S. NEWS A7
Monday 4 January 2016

Universities tap into craft beer growth by offering classes

Craft beers are served at the Maine Beer Company in Freeport, didn’t necessarily want to held at local breweries and tion and knowledge in the
Maine. With an explosion in growth in the craft beer industry go to college or already at the university, but not industry and different ways
over the last decade, some universities are now offering classes had a college degree and online. to get it, whether through
on the business of craft beer. One of the newest is an online wanted to open up a brew So far, the University of Ver- experience, hiring talent or
certificate program being offered by the University of Vermont pub,” Gallagher said. They mont program, in a state training, which some brew-
starting in February 2016. needed some basic and that has made a name eries provide.
more advanced knowl- for itself for its craft beers, As outside investors and
(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) edge, such as in marketing, has drawn applicants from larger breweries become
he said. around the country — Ari- increasingly involved with
LISA RATHKE the business operation, he The demand is so high that zona, Florida, Georgia, Or- craft brewing, Harpoon
Associated Press said. It’s harder to pull that PSU is looking at how to de- egon and Texas, and about Brewery, which will be of-
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — off today. velop and expand the pro- half are from the Northeast, fering apprenticeships to
With an explosion in growth As the industry has grown gram, Gallagher said. Dunkling said. the UVM students, feels a
in the craft beer industry and become more com- “The truth is ... it’s not all The program costs about need to maintain its inde-
over the last decade, it’s petitive, the bar has been about brewing and drink- $4,400 for the two courses: pendence.
not enough to simply have raised for those starting a ing beer. There’s a lot one on the fundamentals “Hiring talented people is a
a passion for brewing and brewery or working for one, of business behind it as well of craft beer and a second critical part of that effort,”
beer when it comes to said Bart Watson, chief and that’s usually what course of students’ choos- Rich Ackerman, Harpoon’s
starting a brewery or work- economist with the Brewers they’re lacking,” he said. ing focused on digital mar- director of human resourc-
ing for one as the industry Association. University of Portland and keting, sales or business op- es, said by email. But the
gets more competitive. “Certainly the demand for San Diego State University’s erations. Apprenticeships company cautions anyone
Recognizing that, some people with a high level College of Extended Stud- with a network of brewer- against thinking of craft
universities are now offer- of brewing knowledge has ies also have business of ies and distributors are also brewing purely as a busi-
ing programs on the busi- gone up and on the busi- craft beer certificate pro- available. ness.
ness of craft beer. nessside as well. So I think grams. Classes for San Di- Industry officials agree “It’s a passion project, first
In the last decade, the we’re seeing a variety of ego State’s program are there’s a need for educa- and foremost,” he said.q
number of craft breweries different programs look for
has grown to more than ways that they can capital-
4,000 in the U.S. today, from ize on that,” he said.
more than 1,400 in 2005, Portland State University
according to the Brewers in Oregon started an on-
Association. line business of craft brew-
A lot of breweries started ing program in 2013, with
out five or 10 years ago the first cohort filling up in
with a focus on beer, said the first week with around
Gregory Dunkling, direc- 40 people. It’s become
tor of the University of Ver- one of the school’s most
mont’s new online busi- successful professional cer-
ness of craft beer certifi- tificate programs, drawing
cate program, which starts people from around the
in February. Back then, a world, said Scott Gallagh-
home brewer may have er, the university’s director
been able to create some of communications.
great recipes but didn’t “We discovered that
have the business acumen there’s a huge need for
so along the way hired staff people who wanted to
to cover marketing, sales, get a certificate. They