Innovation Brew Works has become a model for integrating applied learning with industry collaboration in higher education. In addition to a beer brewing operation, IBW also has an Assistant Brewer Training Program, a seven-week professional development certificate course for those who want to enter the brewing economy, while doing its part to diversify and help students find jobs in the $117 billion industry.

Head Brewer Eric Bassett (‘16, hospitality management) discusses job prospects and using university-grown produce to flavor his beers, while his student Yuki Endo explains why she left a career in shipping logistics in Japan to pursue her dream of being a brewer in the United States. Also interviewed are program graduates Kevin Limón (‘19, geology-geospatial analysis), now an award-winning brewer at Highland Park Brewery, where he proposed and made a ginger and lemongrass saison beer as a tribute to his cultural roots; Shaun Eozzo, trained as a computer forensics analyst, who now works at Campsite Brewing Company in Covina; and Michael Zalapa, general manager of Cerveza Cito Brewery in Santa Ana.

This article was originally published by LAist on April 25, 2025.