With on-premise venues being forced to close their doors due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Sommeliers Australia is pleased to announce its support of the hard-hit hospitality industry through the development of the Hospitality Education Grant.
The Hospitality Education Grant aims to help keep morale high by giving hospitality professionals the opportunity to increase their wine and spirits knowledge and skills while they are unable to work.
Partnering with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), the Hospitality Education Grant will offer eligible hospitality professionals the opportunity to study either WSET Level 1 in Wine and Spirits online, for free.
WSET will provide complimentary access to its Online Classroom for eligible students to study either WSET Level 1 in Wine or Spirits. Courses will be facilitated by WSET’s network of Approved Programme Providers (APPs) in Australia, and will last approximately 5 weeks.
How can I apply for the Hospitality Education Grant?
Hospitality professionals over the age of 18 can apply for the Hospitality Education Grant until Friday 29 May, with priority being given to Sommeliers Australia members and those unable to apply for JobSeeker or JobKeeper.
The Hospitality Education Grant offers hospitality staff who haven’t previously undertaken WSET Level 1 training the opportunity to receive a grant covering:
- the cost of studying WSET Level 1 Award in Wine or WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits online
- the cost of sitting the WSET Level 1 Award exam (once COVID restrictions are lifted)
- a 1 year Sommeliers Australia Professional membership.
Individuals interested in applying for the grant can do so by completing the online application form and submitting their CV (see link below).
Grant recipients will need to complete the course and exam* by end of July 2020 (the date of the exam will be dependent on COVID restrictions).
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR THE HOSPITALITY EDUCATION GRANT
How can I support the Hospitality Education Grant?
The Hospitality Education Grant has been developed to enable individuals and businesses, wanting to support the hospitality industry during COVID-19, the opportunity to help fund WSET Level 1 Award in Wines or Level 1 Award in Spirits courses for eligible students.
Supporters of the grant can purchase an ‘Hospitality Education ticket’ valued at $75 (incl. gst + booking fees), which covers the cost of an individual sitting the Level 1 Award exam. Each ‘Hospitality Education ticket’ will then be gifted at random to one of the grant recipients, so they can sit the Level 1 Award exam.
The number of hospitality professionals able to take up the Hospitality Education Grant will depend directly on the amount raised through ‘Hospitality Education ticket’ sales.
‘Hospitality Education tickets’ are available for purchase until Friday 12 June 2020, through the link below or Eventbrite.
Show your support – CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A ‘HOSPITALITY EDUCATION TICKET’
* If the coursework is undertaken, but the Grant recipient does not sit the exam, they will be required to repay the exam fee.
