July 17, 2018

Mayor Emanuel And Beam Suntory Launch New Beverage Management Pathways At City Colleges

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and City Colleges Chancellor Juan Salgado today joined Beam Suntory to launch two pathways at City Colleges to prepare students in the fields of beverage and bar management. The partnership will enable students to pursue an Advanced Certificate in Hospitality Management or an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences in Hospitality Management.

"The partnership with Beam Suntory and City Colleges will ensure Chicago's hard working students can thrive in high-demand fields," said Mayor Emanuel. “These new pathways will prepare students with a high-quality education and relevant job training and help them build a strong foundation for their future.”

This new partnership comes on the heels of a successful meeting in Tokyo last week with Suntory Holdings Limited President & Chief Executive Officer Takeshi Niinami and Mayor Emanuel.

“We are pleased to expand our commitment to Chicago to help develop the next generation of beverage professionals, as well as further enhance the city’s reputation as one of the great restaurant and bar capitals in the world,” said Matt Shattock, Chairman & CEO of Beam Suntory. “The beverage industry is growing rapidly, and like great cocktail ingredients, Beam Suntory, Chicago and the city’s aspiring bartenders are a perfect mix.”

Under this new partnership, Beam Suntory will work with City Colleges to develop beverage management concentrations at the Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute. Beam Suntory will provide Washburne with existing training materials as a baseline for the programs, and will work with faculty and staff to develop the programs and new courses for the Advanced Certificate pathway. The Associate Degree pathway will also include new courses informed by Beam Suntory.

Since moving the Chicago-area headquarters to the city, Beam Suntory has added more than 50 jobs. Beam Suntory is among a number of other food industry leaders that have relocated to Chicago, including McDonald’s, Conagra Brands, ADM, Mead Johnson, Peapod, Kraft Heinz and Oscar Mayer.

“This relationship with Beam Suntory will bring a new dynamic to Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute’s high-caliber offerings,” said Chancellor Juan Salgado. “City Colleges employer partnerships, like this one with Beam Suntory, help ensure our students gain relevant skills and career exposure so they can hit the ground running in the fast-growing field of their choice,” said Chancellor Juan Salgado.

The new programs are expected to launch in 2019, pending approval from the Illinois Community College Board.

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