Niagara College’s award-winning brewmaster and brewery operations management program is the first and only curriculum in the country for aspiring professional brewers and one of the world’s sole teaching breweries.
In the midst of the local craft beer boom, the Ontario Craft Brewers Association approached the college, lauded for its Food and Wine Institute, to bolster the breadth of knowledge and experience needed to help grow the movement.
Students are immersed in all facets of the industry, including “business, a lot of science and hands-on brewing and some sensory training as well,” says Steve Gill, general manager of NC’s winery and brewing operations. The first graduating class in 2012 saw 100 per cent placement in the industry, and the program’s been so successful that Olds College in Alberta is launching a joint program this fall. Brew on, Canada. For more info, go to firstdraft.ca and niagaracollege.ca.