The Oregon Brewers Guild starts the new year out strong, announcing the launch of its new Mashing Barriers Internship Program, an initiative from its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to help underserved individuals gain a foothold in the brewing industry. It’s a great start to try to bring more diversity into the industry, which desperately needs it right now.

Here’s a quick summary of the program, followed by the full press release below.

• One intern per quarter will partner with a Guild member brewery for a 12 week paid internship program.
• Von Ebert Brewing (Portland) is the first partner brewery, beginning in April.
• The program covers education and training across multiple aspects of working in the brewery. The syllabus is online here.
• The application form is here, and applications for the Von Ebert internship are open through February 28.
• The program runs 12 weeks, 40 hours a week (Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm).

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.”

Additional details, including the program syllabus can be found via the website at https://www.oregoncraftbeer.org/mashing-barriers and any interested individuals can apply via the online application form. Applications for the Von Ebert internship will be accepted from now until February 28th.

“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. If you are interested in supporting, donations can be made online via the website https://www.oregoncraftbeer.org/mashing-barriers

About the Oregon Brewers Guild
The Oregon Brewers Guild is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and protect the state’s craft brewing industry and the common interests of its members. Founded in 1992, the Oregon Brewers Guild is one of the nation’s oldest craft brewers associations.

This needs to be shared far and wide, so if you know of anyone who might be interested in applying for this, make sure to point them to the OBG website!