FORT DODGE, IA— Soldier Creek Winery officially enrolled in the Iowa Wine Growers Association’s Registered Apprenticeship Program in October 2016, taking part in the first state association sponsored registered apprenticeship program of its kind in the nation for cellar workers and wine makers. Patrick began employment with Soldier Creek Winery in October 2016, and has since been receiving related on-the-job training that will account toward his total hours required to complete the program.
Patrick learning the wine lab basics from winemaker, Anne.
To date, there are eight wineries and five apprentices already enrolled in the IWGA registered apprenticeship program. The new apprentices are off to a great start with their on-the-job training and the association hopes to ramp up enrollment in the coming months and years.
“The wine and grape growing industry here in Iowa is continually evolving,” said Nicole Eilers, marketing director for the Iowa Wine Growers Association. “We see this registered apprenticeship program as a means to support and grow our industry for future generations by providing a resource for qualified workers.”
Apprenticeship is an “earn and learn” training model that combines work-based learning with related classroom instruction or educational hours using the highest industry standards. The IWGA registered apprenticeship program combines on-the-job learning for an enrolled apprentice at an Iowa winery (or multiple wineries), with the education hours to be designed and administered through the Midwest Grape & Wine Industry Institute on the campus of Iowa State University, or other approved educational institutions. Apprentices are able to complete the Cellar Worker program’s 2,000-hour combined education and on-the-job learning requirement before moving on to the Wine Maker portion of the program. Upon completion of one or both programs, a certificate is received and the apprentice officially becomes a highly qualified – and sought after – journeyman worker in the wine industry.
The United States currently has approximately 375,000 apprentices working with more than 150,000 employers. Currently, more than 8,100 Iowans are working in registered apprenticeship programs statewide. Iowa has added about 100 registered apprenticeship programs each year for the past three fiscal years.
“The goal of the National Apprenticeship Week is to educate businesses and leaders about the importance of registered apprenticeship programs. These programs can lead to great jobs that also help positively impact our economy. In our case, the vast majority of wineries and vineyards in Iowa are located in rural areas, so our industry greatly impacts small towns and rural communities across the state,” said Erin Norton, education and outreach coordinator with the Midwest Grape & Wine Industry Institute, and a member of the IWGA registered apprenticeship training committee.
To learn more about the IWGA Cellar Worker and Wine Maker Registered Apprenticeship Program, visit www.iowawinegrowers.org/apprenticeship. To learn more about Soldier Creek Winery, visit www.soldiercreekwinery.com.
The Vineyards surrounding Soldier Creek Winery lie on property that has been in our family farm operation for over 50 years. After an unfortunate barn fire in 2002, the Secor family reflected on the business and decided to diversify by plant cold-hardy grapevines.
In 2007, the now-cleared location of the barn fire became bustling with work as the family planted the 6.5 acre vineyard on their Iowa farm. Bill and Rob selected 9 cold-climate varieties equipped to deal with Iowa’s harsh winters. The family members and their willing friends erected the trellis system and planted the vines.
Once the winery construction began in 2012, there was no turning back. Although it wasn’t Bill and his wife Tammi’s original intention, the operation uncovered an unexpected benefit: the entire family relocated back to the Fort Dodge area. All children and their spouses reunited at the farm to develop careers in the winery and vineyard.
Bill and Rob tend to the vines, Anne produces the wines, Amanda and Megan handle marketing, events, and sales, and Tammi works part time in the tasting room and full time in the vineyard.
National Apprenticeship Week is an opportunity for the apprenticeship community to tell the story of apprenticeships and is an invitation to business and industry, education, career seekers, community based organizations, students, and workers to learn about the real world advantages of developing careers through adoption of the apprenticeship model. Apprenticeship is for those who aspire to be great, lead in innovation and creativity, strive to innovate in business and industry, and recognize the value of combining paid on the job learning coupled with a substantial educational component to build generational greatness in careers and commerce. National Apprenticeship Week is Nov. 14 – 20, 2016.
The Iowa Wine Growers Association is a nonprofit organization representing the more than 100 wineries and 300+ vineyards operating in the state of Iowa. Established in 2000, the Association provides support and education to encourage sustainable viticulture practices and promotes the creation of quality wine from grapes grown in Iowa.
Until next time, with Midbest love,
Meg
