The Irish Whiskey Association, the trade association representing the Irish Whiskey sector on the island of Ireland, has announced a scholarship opportunity with Maynooth University on its Brewing and Distilling micro-credential.
The Irish Whiskey Association will sponsor one place on this micro-credential, which aims to equip learners with the necessary scientific knowledge and instrumentation competencies to develop skills relevant to the alcoholic drinks industry. The course was created in response to the strong demand for an analytical course to support the growing Irish craft brewing and whiskey industries.
The Irish Whiskey Association has also called on the incoming government to provide additional supports to the third-level institutions offering courses – both full- and part-time – in the brewing and distilling sector to ensure their positive continuation and a further strengthening of the industry at this pivotal time.
Director of the Irish Whiskey Association, Eoin Ó Catháin, noted: “Recent reports on the value of the Irish drinks sector show that it now easily exceeds €2 billion euro, and there are now around 10,000 people directly employed in brewing and distilling in Ireland. The strength of the sector, however, increases the demand for skills and expertise among our drinks producers. There are now full time Bachelor courses in Brewing and Distilling offered in South-East Technical University (SETU) and Technological University Dublin (TUD), and a micro-credential in Maynooth University, but we need further support to promote these courses. In order for our sector to continue growing and remain competitive, we must be able to rely on our local workforce.”
This need is acutely felt by companies seeking to fill vacancies in this competitive environment.
Professor Denise Rooney, from the Chemistry Department at Maynooth University (MU), who is a contributor to the micro-credential course, added: “Our micro-credential course in Brewing & Distilling Science is both co-designed and co-delivered by industry experts and academics at MU and was created in response to the strong demand for an analytical course to support the growing Irish craft brewing and traditional whiskey industries. Comprising of online lectures, tutorials and virtual lab simulations, this micro-credential course will be run over a 12-week period including a practical experience in Maynooth University’s modern labs. This course is ideal for new entrants into the distilling industry or those wishing to gain more in-depth knowledge in the area.”
Brewing & Distilling Micro-credential
Overview
The course aims to equip learners with the necessary scientific knowledge and instrumentation competencies to develop skills relevant to the alcoholic drinks industry. The course was created in response to the strong demand for an analytical course to support the growing Irish craft brewing and whiskey industries.
This course in Brewing & Distilling Science is both co-designed and co-delivered by industry experts. The Department of Chemistry has been analysing Irish whiskies over the past number of years, and this coupled with their engagement with beverage industries provides the perfect platform for the co-creation of a course in Brewing & Distilling (B&D).
This is a focused short course which will provide an overview into the science behind key analytical skills and how to interpret scientific results. This course will run part-time commencing in February 2025 and will last 12 weeks. The lectures will be delivered under a blended approach and there is an opportunity to practice and develop these key skills hands-on in a modern laboratory facility over a 3-day residency at Maynooth University. As part of the course there will be a career development lecture by the Institute of Brewing & Distilling IBD (Irish Section). Upon completion participants will obtain an accredited Certificate of Completion from Maynooth University.
This course is ideal for:
- A new entrant to Brewing & Distilling (B&D) looking to upskill and develop applicable knowledge in quality control and analysis.
- A professional already in the B&D industry who is looking to upskill to enhance their career development.
- A craft brewer or whiskey distiller seeking a quality training opportunity to enhance employee skills.
- Irish Whiskey, Spirits and brewing aficionados as private individuals.
Note: On successful completion of this micro-credential learners will receive credits as per the European Credit and Transfer System. These credits are recognised by Maynooth University as credits aligned to learning completed at postgraduate level.
This course is open to experienced industry professionals who do not hold a primary or higher degree with entry via Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
The Spring 2025 delivery of this course is approved for the HCI Pillar 3 50% Learner Fee Subsidy. For more information see our webpage.
Links
Link to Micro-credentials main page Micro-credentials at Maynooth | Maynooth University
Link to Brewing & Distilling course MICRO-CREDENTIAL: BREWING & DISTILLING | Maynooth University