Guinness Open Gate Brewery Creates Paid Diversity Apprenticeship
HALETHORPE, Md. (WJZ) -- For people working in the craft beer and travel industry, 2020 was a time to reflect on whether or not they were doing enough to include everyone after a year of social unrest.
"We realized that there was a lot of work that needed to be done, really across the country, but certainly here in our new home in Baltimore," Ryan Wagner, Guinness Open Gate Brewery National Ambassador, said.
Leaders at Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Halethorpe set out to solve how they could make a difference and include more minorities.
They decided that funding a diversity apprenticeship with Visit Baltimore could start help with that.
"A huge overarching goal of this process has been to create within our brewery, and really outside of our brewery, a place where everyone feels represented," Wagner said. "So Visit Baltimore through this internship program gives us another avenue to accomplish that."
The 600-hour, three-part paid internship will give two minority Baltimore community members a taste of what's it like to work in the travel and tourism industry from behind the scenes at Guinness to restaurants, hotels and more.
"They can learn a good skill set and learn about craft brewing as an industry and hopefully they become our next generation of talent in the travel and tourism industry," Al Hutchinson, CEO & President of Visit Baltimore, said.
In the end, there's guaranteed employment, a new future, and a learning experience.
"We'll be learning from them the best way to make a welcoming space, the best way to create a representative space," Wagner said.
If you want to get involved, there is still time to apply. Applications are being accepted until Monday, February 22. To learn more, visit baltimore.org.
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