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Author Topic: Employment rate for Brewers  (Read 2845 times)

Offline beerocd

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Employment rate for Brewers
« on: April 27, 2010, 07:38:35 am »
So, supposing one were to complete the coursework and get the paper saying you know how to brew. How likely are you to actually find a job? Starting your own place seems popular and doesn't require the schooling, but requires $$$. Just wondering if industry specifics are available as they are for other areas of work.
« Last Edit: April 27, 2010, 10:07:51 am by beerocd »
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Offline bbump22

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Re: Employment rate for Brewers
« Reply #1 on: April 27, 2010, 10:46:37 am »
So, supposing one were to complete the coursework and get the paper saying you know how to brew. How likely are you to actually find a job? Starting your own place seems popular and doesn't require the schooling, but requires $$$. Just wondering if industry specifics are available as they are for other areas of work.

From my research of talking with the Brewing Operations Manager at Redhook and other smaller breweries, both said that these days it is tougher to break into the industry without a brewing degree.  Also, networking...just knowing someone in the brewing industry can help you get a job at an entry level position, sweeping floors or bottling for minimum wage.  But it gets your foot in the door.
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Online denny

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Re: Employment rate for Brewers
« Reply #2 on: April 27, 2010, 11:10:21 am »
That may be true, but virtually none of the commercial brewers I know have a degree.
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Offline bbump22

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Re: Employment rate for Brewers
« Reply #3 on: April 27, 2010, 11:17:35 am »
That may be true, but virtually none of the commercial brewers I know have a degree.

Sorry, I was a little misleading.  The Brewmaster at Redhook didn't have a brewing degree either, he made a note that 20 years ago it was not available nor required, but that the growing trend was that more and more breweries were looking for folks with degrees related to brewing.
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Offline sienabrewer

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Re: Employment rate for Brewers
« Reply #4 on: April 27, 2010, 12:05:32 pm »
When I was seriously contemplating the idea of being a brewer I contacted the American Brewers Guild and asked them the exact same thing.  I was fortunate/lucky enough that the the admissions person was out and Steve Parkes (Founder/Otter Creek brewmaster) happen to be near the phone and picked it up.  I chatted him up about the subject and his response was that they were finding a very high level of success placing graduates of the Apprenticeship program.  The admission counselor also told me the same exact thing when I called back weeks later.  Steve also told me that formal education is now becoming the norm for new brewer hires because and I quote, "It's not like the mid-90's anymore where homebrewers were opening breweries left and right.  Breweries want to see that someone is serious and has gotten formal training."  Now he could have been chatting me up to get me to register, but I doubt it.  If you look at their program they are booked solid through 2012, so I don't think that is an issue.  I actually did sign up and was suppose to start this June, but pulled out.  Why you ask?  Because it is way more of a pay decrease than I could handle.  If I was a young 22 year old graduate I'd be all over it.  I just have too much responsibility at this point in my life.  That and my impression is that you have to be a bit cutthroat to get a job.  Too many people are accepting salaries that are far too low just to be brewers. 

Offline dean

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Re: Employment rate for Brewers
« Reply #5 on: April 27, 2010, 03:08:09 pm »
In this economy, I suppose a lot of companies do hire people with degrees to sweep floors but most old timers, especially those with degrees, sure wouldn't push a broom for minimum wage.   :D  It might work out to be a sweet deal for a young person though.  Maybe the "smaller" companies don't run with the same mindset that large corporations do... use'm up and replace'm.   ???