Courses helping home brewers break into the craft beer industry are growing in number as employment opportunities increase.
Economic analysis by ACIL Allen Consulting for the Brewers Association of Australia released this year shows there are almost 4000 full-time equivalent jobs at Australian breweries, with flow-on effects supporting more than 14,000 positions in the direct supply chain.
TAFE SA began offering courses a decade ago following the installation of a 600-litre teaching brewery at its Regency Park campus – across the road from Coopers Brewery.
The courses offered by TAFE SA are used by many participants to add commercial knowledge to their skills set.
The courses have grown in size and complexity with a Certificate III in Food Processing (Micro Brewing) added in 2016.
TAFE NSW also introduced Certificate III in Food Processing (Microbrewing) last year at its Ultimo campus, which has a 200-litre brewhouse.
Aside from the Certificate III course, there is an intensive five-day ‘Craft Beer Boot Camp’ twice a year and short beer courses for the hospitality industry and beer judges focusing on beer styles, ingredients, beer judging, palate awareness, flavour knowledge and beer faults.
The brewery is also used in TAFE’s Food Science and Technology Diploma and for training microbiology and food process engineering students from the University of Adelaide.
Beers made by students under the Campus Brewery label are sold at the Regency Park campus and were poured at the Beer & BBQ Festival recently.
