First-Year Brewmaster Student
This past week, I had the pleasure of attending the annual Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) meeting, hosted at Olds College. The purpose of the Committee is to bring members of the Alberta brewing community into conversation with college administration, faculty, and students regarding the Brewmaster program at Olds. Our round table discussion included an update on the industry from those directly immersed in it, and the expectations of employers upon student graduation.
An overarching theme of the meeting was the drastic increase in breweries opening over the last few years here in Alberta, and the impact this new access to beer has had on a formerly established market. Statistics from AGLC indicated that 123 breweries are now licensed in Alberta, an increase of 22 from the previous IAC meeting. The sentiment was that the increase in businesses has greatly diluted the quality of beer that Albertan consumers have come to expect. As a result, it has become harder for Albertan brewers to get their product across borders, as regulations on quality have not grown as quickly as the trade, and neighbouring markets have taken notice.
A significant plea of the industry representatives was for students to focus heavily upon quality management and improving standards of their product heading to market, for the better of all breweries in Alberta. In support of that idea, it was recommended by the representatives that students should be focussed on adding value to established breweries, rather than entering the market on their own and starting new brewing companies.
Other talking points included the impact of cannabis legality in the last year, and its effect on the brewing industry. AGLC was happy to report that overall alcohol consumption has remained stable and that the new legislation of cannabis has not significantly altered the market for producers, to date. However, beer sales by volume have trended down 3% and are forecasted to continue doing so. While this is not necessarily good news, I believe it can be attributed to consumers choosing more local beer at their retailer, which often is higher cost for less volume.
When discussing expectations of graduates from the Brewmaster program, quality assurance was not the only trait that was suggested as needing improvement. Several members of the IAC said that while the technical abilities of graduates has been excellent, many soft skills tend to require further development. Attributes like professionalism, OH&S knowledge, problem solving, and sales/business acumen were all mentioned as areas in which graduates could increase their value to potential employers.
Finally, the IAC made a strong recommendation that networking is the best opportunity for students and newcomers to the industry. Introducing yourself to brewers either at the brewery, beer festivals, or trade shows is critical to obtaining a strong presence and monumentally assists your application process.
The meeting was informative and educational, and I would propose that any Brewmaster student wishing to learn more about their future ought to attend the 2020 conference.
