In 2010, there were fewer than five craft beer breweries in West Virginia.
But by 2019, that number had exploded to 28 craft breweries – not counting cideries, wineries or distilleries – with a collective economic impact of $289 million in the Mountain State, according to the American Brewers Association. Together, the beverage industry is ranked 10th in economic impact among sectors. And, it is the Mountain State’s second fastest growing manufacturing field, proving that West Virginia is diverse in its economic growth successes.
In 2020, this recession-proof industry has continued to expand and with it a new and direct pipeline of Apprenticeship so people interested in working in West Virginia’s swiftly growing manufacturing sector can do so without leaving the state, allowing residents the knowledge they need to be a vital part of the industry.
The West Virginia Development Office’s Apprenticeship in Motion (AIM WV) program has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship and Bridge Valley Community and Technical College to establish one of only a handful of U.S. DOL-registered Brewers Apprenticeship programs in the country.
Learn more from the West Virginia Department of Economic Development.