A new program from Niagara College, Canadian Food and Wine Institute, will begin to offer a program in the fall for business managers interested in growing their knowledge on wine, beer and distilling.
The Beverage Business Management is a one-year graduate certificate program, which will be the first of its kind in Canada launching in September 2021. The new program will offer students knowledge in all aspects of the alcoholic beverage industry.
“Beverage Business Management is a natural progression of the growth in our programming,” said CFWI dean Craig Youdale. “As home to Canada’s first commercial teaching winery, first teaching brewery and first teaching distillery, we are excited to build on our established production-based programs in wine, brewing and distilling, and unveil our first expanded offering from all three beverage sectors poised to break new ground across the country.”
“We’re seeing this trend globally and we want to ensure that we’re meeting this need. International students can apply what they’ve learned in their home countries as well,” said program coordinator Peter Rod. “It’s the new normal to look for candidates who are ‘jacks of all trades’ prepared with the most up-to-date skills and knowledge, who are able to pivot. Our graduates will be well positioned to do it all with knowledge from all three of these growing beverage sectors.”
The Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake will be home to this program. It is the only postsecondary institution in Canada with learning enterprises from all three beverage sectors on campus as ‘living labs’ for students, including College’s Teaching Winery, Teaching Brewery, Teaching Distillery and Wine Visitor + Education Centre (retail).
“While business is incorporated in our Winery and Viticulture Technician, Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management, and Artisan Distilling programs, they are more practical and production based,” said associate dean, CFWI Gary Torraville. “By enrolling in the Beverage Business Management graduate certificate program, students really have an opportunity to ignite their passion and 100 percent focus on business.”
Students will study everything from the sensory evaluation of beer, spirits and wines; the legal and regulatory environment; and employee and financial sustainability for the beverage alcohol industry. They will also learn about the essentials of beverage alcohol production, innovative sales and marketing, supply chain management, quality assessment, strategic market and brand analytics, and enterprise innovation and entrepreneurship. The program will also test students with a research/thesis project where they’ll be able to team up in real-life situations and partners.
Registration is now open and the program can accommodate a 40-student capacity for its first intake during the Fall term.
Photo courtesy of Niagara College