Let’s start with the news that came out earlier this month….
(my addendum is in bold after the slightly abridged press release)
“The Oregon Brewers Guild announces the launch of their new Mashing Barriers Internship Program. The Guild’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee set the work in motion in early 2021, focusing on creating employment access into the Oregon brewing industry for underserved individuals.
“The brewing industry has been historically dominated by white cis men”, said Christina LaRue, Executive Director of the Oregon Brewers Guild. “Our goal with this program is to partner with our member breweries and help open the door for those that have come up against barriers – women, people of color, LGTBQ+…really anyone who has struggled to gain access. It has been a labor of love over the last year and we are very excited to see it finally come to fruition.”
The program will partner one intern per quarter with a Guild member brewery, and kick off this April with Von Ebert Brewing in Portland, Oregon. The paid internship will run for twelve weeks and will follow a thorough program syllabus, created to offer the intern training and education across multiple facets within the brewery.
“The program was created as a next step for the Guild’s DEI work”, shared Sonia Marie Leikam, owner of Leikam Brewing in Portland and DEI Committee Chair. “We see this as an opportunity to provide education and mentorship to individuals who historically have not been a part of the industry and who have experienced challenges in accessing employment due to lack of hands-on experience. It is our hope that this program will grow and we can strengthen the industry from the inside.”
“We worked very hard this past year to create a paid internship that will help people who don’t necessarily see themselves reflected in the craft beer community. From grain to glass, this program delves into every aspect of the brewing process and beyond, which makes it a phenomenal opportunity for someone looking to get involved”, shared Madeleine McCarthy, Brewer for Von Ebert Brewing and DEI Committee member. “This is just the first step in making the craft beer scene more accessible to all who are intrigued; I’m so thrilled to be a part of the Mashing Barriers Internship program.”
As this is a paid internship, the Oregon Brewers Guild will be assisting with the program costs. The Guild launched their first Pint Day event in December 2021 as a fundraiser for the program and will also be running a fundraising campaign over the next two months.”
This is important. It is not enough anymore to say that you hire blindly and without prejudice. You also have to support programs that fill in gaps that prevent people from being able tp get the job. It is also in a brewery’s self-interest because you get to train a person in your way of brewing and create a real bond that could lead to adding a new full-timer to your team and if you scroll through Facebook for more than two minutes, you will see finding workers ain’t easy out there.
