KVCC Home to One of the Nation’s Only Brewing Programs

Jon Becker MiBrewTrail

Parents and administrators may choose to believe otherwise, but beer and partying have long been a part of college campus culture in Michigan and throughout the nation. Yet protective Moms and Dads and image conscious school executives can rest easy when beer is on the agenda at Board meetings and other high-level sessions on the campus of Kalamazoo Valley Community College. That’s because these meetings aren’t hand-wringing sessions on discussing whether to revoke an out-of-control fraternity’s charter over alcohol-related infractions. They are more likely to center on enhancing educational partnerships with Ferris State University or Western Michigan University. Or furthering student-centered connections with Michigan’s oldest craft brewery, family-owned and operated Bell’s Brewery, and other craft breweries. You see, Kalamazoo Valley Community College is home to a Sustainable Brewing program, one of the few of its kind in the nation. Instead of kegs and raucous parties, think about a rigorous science-based curriculum that prepares students for a variety of professional jobs in Michigan’s exploding craft beer industry. “Students graduating our program are equipped to succeed in virtually all entry-level positions in the industry,” said Aaron Ross, who along with Brian Lindberg are the Sustainability Program instructors. “We teach students to thrive for understanding and growth beyond our influence. This is not just specifically at breweries.” As Ross points out, the program’s graduates are also qualified to work in other industry occupations such as suppliers of ingredients and technology, distributors, taproom managers, researchers, and brewery lab technicians. Some even make the leap to opening their own brewery. “We have one student who has since opened his own brewery outside of Tokyo,” Ross said. “It’s a success. We try to expose students to many facets of the industry in hopes they find what resonates with them. Our placement rates are high and we continue to build relationships within the industry to further increase this statistic.” One of those relationships is with Bell’s Brewery. The company offers a full, oneyear internship for KVCC students that take them through the many sectors of brewing. “John Mallet (Bell’s V.P. of Operations) and the team over there take what we have taught them and put the rubber to the road. One Bell Brewing Company has also been an asset to the program, offering much of the hands-on learning as Bell’s,” Ross said. Sustainability Brewing students have several options for enrollment. The first is a 34 (soon to be 36) credit certificate that centers on the production of beer. According to Ross, this is the most popular track. A full-time student can complete the program in one year. Courses span from the history of brewing, ingredients, brew house and cellar operations, to sensory and styles, brewery management, quality assurance and other areas. This isn’t just about book study, either. The college actually has its own brewery

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on campus equipped with cutting edge technology. “Our program offers the most hands-on lab time of any certificate in the nation,” asserts Ross. “It’s been recognized by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas as being a credible source for brewing education.” KVCC launched the program in fall 2015 with the expert assistance of Mike Babb, an industry veteran with 30-plus years of experience working for Coors as a brew master. In addition, he also was a faculty member of the Seibel Institute in Chicago. The Sustainability Brewing Program was built on the principles of affordable, sustainability and hands-on education for the brewing industry—not only in the Midwest but for the nation and the world. “The idea of sustainability is a somewhat misunderstood concept,” Ross said. “Sustainability is not only the oftentimes-though-of environmentally conscious, save the trees, fight the man mentality. Sustainability derives from social aspects, economic aspects and environmental aspects.” Ross goes on to provide a few examples to illustrate his point: “Sustainable social equity means we are breaking down gender, racial and socioeconomic barriers found in the industry. We are also promoting healthy consumption habits and educating students on the dangers of alcohol as well as redefining the role of the brewery in the social setting. Economic aspects range from ensuring that the operation is fiscally responsible and can fluctuate with the world economy.” Students will also get educated on the importance of fair pay and benefits for positions throughout the industry. Environmental considerations include maximizing efficiencies, sourcing local ingredients, conserving natural resources such as water, energy efficiency and advocating for the protection, conservation and continuance of these wonderful resources that allow us to make beer, Ross said. In addition to the one-year certificate option we touched on earlier, students have two other avenues to consider: an opportunity to enroll in an Associates of Applied Science curriculum which supplements the core of the brewing courses with business, chemistry, biology, English, among other offerings. Students have a third option if they wish to continue on to a four-year school. They can either transfer with their associate’s to Western Michigan University, one of KVCC’s longtime partners, that offers a bachelors of science in either Brewery Operations or Brewery Science. Students looking to supplement their education with more hospitality-oriented courses can transfer to Ferris State University to complete bachelors in hospitality management with an emphasis on the brewing industry. There are currently about 40 students enrolled in brewing courses this semester at the community college. They range from fresh out of high school kids to individuals looking to switch careers and retirees looking to improve their home brewing skills. “We also have employees working at industry-related jobs here to hone their skills,” Ross said. In addition to instructors Ross and Lindberg, the KVCC Sustainability Brewing team features its Brewery Operations Manager, Taylor Darling. Their collective education coupled with the latest and greatest in technology, complimented by educational and business partnerships, leads to opportunities for grads. “Our collective education, though not specific to brewing, spans from sustainable sciences to biology,” Ross said. “Brewing is such an interdisciplinary study—which is why it attracts so many different types of people. Our experiences at breweries are primarily from The Mitten Brewing Company and Saugatuck Brewing Company— both Michigan staples in the beer game.” Community colleges are noted for being nimble and KVCC is no exception. “We continue to grow our facility and equipment to grow and change with the industry,” he said. “Some of our newest equipment includes a partially automated keg washer, a canning line and a water distiller for building water profiles. The school also has a fully operational taproom and kitchen (with its culinary program in the same building). This allows us to serve beer in-house and beer to go for students and the greater community.” Kalamazoo Valley Community College: A key player in Michigan’s Growing Craft Beer Industry.

We try to expose students to many facets of the industry in hopes they find what resonates with them.

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