The SMILE project targets the burgeoning Craft Beer/Micro Brewery industry in Europe. The project will develop the tools to educate entrepreneurs behind the micro brewing explosion. The outcome will be increased opportunities and the skills to build successful, sustainable brewing businesses. Key principles which the project seeks to influence includes;• To help develop the business skills of micro-brewers to sustain enterprise and employment,• To help train brewers to develop leadership and responsibility in relation to food safety,• To improve the mobility of brewery workers in Europe,• To reinforce knowledge of the important link between, brewing, agriculture and the natural environment,• Support knowledge creation and exchange in the fields of brewing, malting and fermentation science,• To develop the competences and competitiveness of the European micro brewing sector and further encourage the positive contribution that European beer can make to the economy,• To encourage the ongoing improvement and dissemination of best available practices and techniques in respect of sustainability within the brewing sector,• To support the EU’s drive towards sustainable consumption and production,• The creation of new job opportunities and the encouragement of entrepreneurship.The main outputs of the project;1. An industry research report incorporating needs analysis for the industry for partner countries and EU as a whole, and gap analysis of the deficiencies in the existing VET provision, and outlining the new curricula to be developed through the SMILE project,2. Accredited ‘apprenticeship-type’ training programme. (Included developed curricula, and training materials incorporating e-learning modules, classroom modules an work placement modules),3. A Website to support the training and a newly established European Micro-Brewers network.
The SMILE project was initiated to address a skills gap in the Independent (craft, micro) Brewing industry. It is a feature of this industry that many new entrants are not formally qualified in brewing science, or business. The motivation for many is lifestyle choice and passion for the product and the craft beer scene. As enterprise support and community development workers, the partners are keen to increase new entrant’s chances of success by helping them to recognise the skill gaps in their fledgling businesses and to fill them. Local, independent brewing has many benefits to a community in terms of jobs, local resource (materials, labour, services etc) utilisation. On a macro level, the environmental impacts of locally produced and consumed product, using local ingredients is also well established. Finally, it is important to not that many of the less desirable factors associated with alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse, is not as evident within Craft Beer circles. Brewers tend to be more in touch with their consumers. An important USP for craft brewers is the level of interaction and communication with the consumer, something which large industrial producers can never replicate. Through this interaction, brewers educate consumers about beer, ingredients, and consumption levels. It is true to say that typical craft beer consumer is more interested in quality than quantity,. The funded life of this project is successfully complete, with all commitments delivered and with much more. Partners are impressed that the SMILE project is well known throughout Europe by people connected with the brewing industry, and sustainability is achieved through establishment of the SMILE Training Centre in co-operation with Food and Drink Qualifications Limited (www.fdq.org.uk ) Objectives; - The ultimate objective of the project was to create an EU wide qualification for the brewing industry, which would be accepted and recognised by the industry. The project has gone a long way to delivering on this objective, with the Course Syllabus and Curriculum being well developed and tested. The materials are available online, and a new entity, SMILE Training Centre has been established to manage the qualification for the next stages of SMILE. The SMILE training centre is fully quality assured and accredited through FDQ. The online examinations, and mechanisms for assessment of competence for offline elements will be in place in Early 2019 for anybody wishing to acheive the SMILE/FDQ Certificate in Brewing Entrepreneurship. The project reach was very wide. For the most part, partners engaged directly with people involved in the brewing industry. This does not only include brewers, beer and homebrew clubs, but also raw material suppliers (malt and hop farmers), publicans, barpersons, waiting staff and others in the hospitality sector, PR and marketing professionals, distributers, retailers and managers of enterprise centres and others who work with start-up enterprises, and providers of VET. Through the EBC the project had access to professionals at the top levels of the drinks industry in Europe and Internationally. The project was featured at the Brewers Forum in Brussels in 2018, and presented at a number of European Brewing Science Group meetings. In parallel to the research, development and testing activities, project administration, widespread dissemination, and a series of Multiplier events were delivered. Results and impact attained; - results include 16 recipients of the SMILE 'Certificate of Merit' (i.e. those who completed pilot testing and attended the LTT in Mullingar. we also have a number of interested parties in becoming part of the SMILE delivery network, including some who could become national contact points for the qualification in various countries, and others, like brewers, who will potentially be passed by the SMILE Training Centre as persons competent to provide witness testimony of competence for learners looking to validate the work placement components of the SMILE/FDQ Certificate in Brewing Entrepreneurship. Longer-term benefits; - The SMILE learning is freely available on the SMILE website in 4 languages. In 2019, the qualification will be available via the SMILE BREWING website, and will be offered to everyone who wants it. There will be no cost to do the course online, but a small cost will be necessary to cover the expense of assessment and certification by FDQ if they desire to do so.