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“I worked in pubs since I was younger and found that it’s really interesting, sociable work and you’re meeting people every day. I chose this course because it incorporated a business degree with work I previously enjoyed, then after I started it I discovered that I’m really interested in wines and the process of producing the alcohol. The Wine and Beverage Management course is three years long. After we can choose to do a 4th year which is just Business Management, and if you do the 4th year you get a Higher Degree.
“In first year we did Business, Maths, Economics, Personal Development, Business Management, Gastronomy and Licensed Trade Operations.
It was basically a foundation – everything you’re going to need to know for later years. At the end of each semester, in January and May, we had exams. We also did the EHOA - the Environmental Health Officers’ Association course - and HACCP Training and a Manual Handling course.
The main thing we did in 2nd year was a WSET - Wine and Spirit Education Trust - Intermediate Certificate, which is a world-wide qualification. We also did Management of Food Hygiene – it was an optional course and the cost was subsidised by the college. And we went to Rudesheim in Germany on a two day wine tour. We saw how wine was made and did a tasting session, we went to a wine museum and the Asbach museum, which is German brandy - it was really interesting. We also did normal modules, like Advanced Beverage Operations, Law, Service Marketing, Financial Accounting.
From the beginning, the practical things like the EHOA and the WSET were the best part of the course, in my opinion. I’d like to go into being a sommelier so those things tie in, along with the wine-based subjects. The business subjects were difficult but bearable – really the essentials of what we’d need to know when we’re out there running a business. This year we’re learning how to write a Business Plan and we’re hoping to go to a vineyard in England, called Denbies, to have a look around and see how it operates.
After this year I’m going to try to get some experience as a sommelier - I’d like to get some ‘shadowing’ work, which won’t be paid, but it’s really important to get good experience in that sector. My lecturer told me about the Irish Association of Sommeliers, so I will approach them for advice.
ITT is a friendly and homely campus – you know everyone’s face. We had Rag Week two weeks ago and there was a Mystery Tour and all that carry on. Usually every two weeks there’s a social. There isn’t actually a bar on campus but there’s one just outside – the Metro in Tallaght village – where all the students go for lunch and for a drink after class, so it’s practically a college bar.
I’d advise people that if they have worked in the bar trade before and know they’re really interested, they should go for it, because at the end of three years they will have a business degree and it’s easier to get a really good job in the industry with a qualification like this.
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