12-week curriculum seeks to foster emerging craft beer professionals

Boulder, Colo. • Jan. 7, 2021 —The Brewers Association (BA)—the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American craft brewers—today announced the launch of its Mentorship Program. The program seeks to increase the diversity of the workforce, leadership, and ownership of small and independent craft breweries by providing structured mentoring and advocacy to those who may be experiencing barriers to access or advancement in the industry. 

“The Brewers Association envisions a craft brewing community that provides unmatched opportunities for learning and professional development to everyone,” said Bob Pease, president and CEO, Brewers Association. “With the creation of our mentorship program, we hope to spur meaningful support for new and emerging craft beer professionals to thrive.”

The 12-week mentorship program will pair aspiring craft brewing professionals with a group of experienced industry leaders. Mentors will offer assistance and advocacy in key areas of interest, including: technical brewing, serving and tasting beer, guest experience, brewery safety, event planning, human resources, management, marketing, sales and distribution, and finance.

“This mentorship program is an incredible resource for anyone looking to jumpstart their career in craft beer,” said Dr. J Nikol Jackson-Beckham, equity and inclusion partner at the Brewers Association and director of the mentorship program. “Likewise, this is also an opportunity for craft beer professionals from across the spectrum to learn from one another and to hear directly from people whose experience of the industry may be very different from their own. I’m looking forward to helping foster some really productive learning experiences for mentors and program participants alike.”

Participants will develop invaluable relationships within the craft brewing industry, gain access to the Brewers Association’s library of resources, and receive hands-on assistance with employment search and resume review. Participants who successfully complete the program will also be eligible for scholarship support for their next steps in industry education and professional development. Applications for mentors are currently being accepted at brewersassociation.org and will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Applications for the inaugural cohort of program participants are now open. The deadline for participant applications is February 28, 2021.

This news follows the recent creation of the Brewers Association’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) department. The department will focus on both internal and external initiatives, including but not limited to implementing an equity scorecard, managing a new mentorship program, reinstating the event grant program, and delivering regular educational content via blogs and webinars.

About the Brewers Association

The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 5,400-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup®, Great American Beer Festival®, Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®, SAVOR™: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, Homebrew Con™, National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week®. The BA publishes The New Brewer® magazine, and Brewers Publications® is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com® and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association® and the free Brew Guru® mobile app. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Brewers Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 11246 and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.