{"id":165206,"date":"2025-12-03T11:04:23","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T16:04:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.nmc.edu\/?p=165206"},"modified":"2026-03-27T20:37:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T00:37:27","slug":"success-story-glci-responds-to-regional-industry-shifts-with-new-certificate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nmc.edu\/?p=165206","title":{"rendered":"Success Story: GLCI responds to regional, industry shifts with new certificate"},"content":{"rendered":"

December 3, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Students<\/p>\n

Call it shaken or call it stirred, the beverage industry has seen significant consumer shifts over  the last five years.<\/p>\n

No longer are choices limited to wine, beer or soda. Now there’s ciders, seltzers and spirits. There’s specialty cocktails, often handcrafted. There’s RTDs, or ready-to-drink cocktails, conveniently bottled or canned. There’s no\/lo — as in alcohol — options, also known as mocktails. Plus teas, coffees and waters, all of which can come flavored or infused, handcrafted or RTD.<\/p>\n

To serve that rapidly growing and diversifying industry, NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute will offer a one-year beverage management certificate beginning fall 2026. Culinary Director Les Eckert<\/strong> said that northwest Michigan’s many wineries, breweries, distilleries and most recently, cideries make the credential a good fit for GLCI.<\/p>\n

“We could see the growth happening all around us,” Eckert said. “We knew we had to get involved.”<\/p>\n

While there are beverage programs elsewhere in the U.S., GLCI’s stand-alone certificate will be on the leading edge in Michigan. The curriculum also embeds the experiential learning that is an NMC hallmark.<\/p>\n

“Given that no single program in Michigan offers a comprehensive blend of beverage training, GLCI knew the timing was right to offer the Beverage Management certificate,” Eckert said.<\/p>\n

GLCI introduced a beverage management class (CUL 232)<\/a> in 2022. That and one other existing course will be part of the certificate, plus 13 new classes.<\/p>\n

Those classes are designed to be experiential. Eckert said that up to 50 percent of the certificate’s courses will be conducted off-site, with industry visits built into course descriptions. For instance, NMC currently offers a viticulture certificate in partnership with Michigan State – a relationship that will mark 35 years next year. GLCI can lean into partnerships developed with winery vineyard managers to get students into cellars and tasting rooms.<\/p>\n

Graduates will earn two industry certifications (ServSafe<\/a>, CUL 110, and TIPS) and be prepared to take other industry exams.<\/p>\n

“It really opens the doors for you to gain more globally recognized certifications,” Eckert said.<\/p>\n

The beverage management certificate is the third new credential to emerge from GLCI’s 2021-22 reimagination process<\/a>, which engaged the college, GLCI alumni and culinary\/hospitality employers in designing changes to increase enrollment, improve financial performance and help students achieve success. In 2023 the college introduced a two-year culinary-maritime certificate<\/a>, and in 2024 a two-year sports performance nutrition certificate<\/a> debuted.<\/p>\n