The ACT Government is working with Canberra’s local brewers to deliver a new pilot project to train Canberra’s next beer brewers.

‘Brewed to Succeed’ is proposed to be a state-of-the-art training program to meet the diverse requirements of Canberra’s local brewing industry.

Bentspoke Brewing approached the ACT Government and CIT in 2022 about the need for skilled workers in artisan fermented products in the beer and wine industries.

The Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) is now partnering with BentSpoke to deliver a new workplace program to strengthen local brewing businesses and train more employees in the specific skills sets they need to have a great career.

The pilot will test the potential delivery of a full-time course through CIT, incorporating food production, distilling, wine making and brewing.

“The new brewing course at CIT will empower newcomers to enter the beer industry with the necessary knowledge to hit the ground running, while simultaneously enhancing the skills of employed brewers, thereby strengthening and supporting the local brewing industry,” Richard Watkins, Co-owner and Head Brewer at BentSpoke Brewing, said.

In the ACT, 0.7 per cent of the labour force is in the brewing industry – more than double the 0.3 per cent proportion in Victoria and Western Australia.

The initial program will provide teacher training for an existing expert brewer who will then deliver the course to around 12 students employed in the industry.

The training model could serve as a basis for future programs in other emerging industries facing skills shortages where accredited training isn’t currently available.

Support for more brewing skills is part of the ACT Government’s Skilled to Succeed agenda, and forms part of the Skills Industry Action Plan for the Tourism and Hospitality Sector, which will be released in the coming months.

The program is being delivered by CIT in collaboration with local brewers, following a successful grant of nearly $80,000 through the Skilled to Succeed Innovation Grants Program.

The first students are expected to undertake training from April 2024.