Contact: Ann Hatch
214-378-1819;
ahatch@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — July 15, 2015
(DALLAS) — It seems Texans can’t get enough craft beer these days, and some brewers in the state are “ale-ing” because of a lack of brewing specialists to keep up with that “stout” demand.
Enter Eastfield College in Mesquite, where students can earn a “Journeyman Brewer Certificate” during a six-week, hands-on course that several local breweries support. This brewer certificate course is the only one of its kind in Texas and is one of only a handful of similar programs in schools around the country.
The 177-hour class starts Aug. 31 and covers the basics of brewing and malting. This comprehensive course costs $3,600, and it gives participants the training that brewers look for in new employees in an industry is that is short on skilled personnel.
“This program is unique because you have the school, the theory and, at the same time, you have the practical experience,” said instructor Peter Boettcher, a native of Germany who is a master brewer with more than 30 years of experience. He holds a degree in brewing science and has a brewer’s certificate from the Doemens World Brewing Academy, which is based in Munich.
“Breweries support the course because there aren’t a lot of qualified people out there, so they will benefit in the long run,” Boettcher said.
Students who took the first class in June will have a leg up in the brewing industry because it shows that they are serious about their training, according to Boettcher.
Current students come from different levels. “We have home brewers and actual brewers, and some want to start their own business in brew pubs,” said Boettcher.
Students spend 95 hours in the classroom and then apply their newly acquired knowledge by working the other 82 hours at a local brewery. This practical experience also serves as an internship.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent. The upcoming class is limited to 25 students, and they already received 90 inquiries, Boettcher said.
This certificate program is supported by several breweries in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, including Grapevine Craft Brewery, Lakewood Brewing, Martin House Brewing, Rabbit Hole Brewing, Shannon Brewing, Texas Ale Brewing and Rahr & Sons Brewing.
For more information or to register, please contact Rosana Martinez by phone at 972-860-7102 or by email at
rosanamartinez@dcccd.edu.
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