The Carlsberg Group, No. 3 in the ranking of international brewery groups, has reorganized its internal training program for brewmasters. One of the external partners is VLB Berlin. After an intensive preparation period, the first course of the "Carlsberg-ISC-Brewmaster Academy" started on March 24, 2025, in Hamburg.

The new Carlsberg training program is based on a mixture of theoretical knowledge transfer in classroom mode and practical laboratory and process exercises. The courses take place at the VLB Berlin and at the Holsten Brewery in Hamburg, part of the Carlsberg Group. The basic knowledge of brewing technology is taught by lecturers from the VLB. This is supplemented by experts from the Carlsberg Group and project and technology partners from the supply industry. The course lasts eight months and is carried out as training alongside work. After passing the final examination, participants are awarded the title "VLB Brewmaster Carlsberg". 

The kick-off meeting for the course took place in Hamburg on March 24, 2025. One week later, the first training module began at the VLB Berlin with 13 participants from Carlsberg locations in Europe and Asia.

"Highly qualified managers are essential to secure our claim to excellence as an international brewing and beverage group in the long term. We are therefore delighted to have found a competent and flexible partner in VLB Berlin for our new tailor-made training program for our brewmasters. The condensed mixture of VLB's technical brewing education, combined with Carlsberg-specific know-how and supplemented by practice-oriented modules is an important unique feature for us," says Michael Jakob, Vice President Integrated Supply Chain (ISC) Group New Technologies at Carlsberg and member of the Administrative Board of VLB Berlin.

VLB Managing Director Dr. Josef Fontaine is also very pleased with the start of the new training program: "After successfully running a brewmaster course specifically for Carlsberg Asia from 2011 to 2013, we are delighted that the new Carlsberg-ISC Brewmaster Academy has chosen us as an education partner again this year. We are very open to a long-term cooperation in this regard."

Kick-off in Hamburg on March 24, 2025: (back left) Simon Fibiger (CEO Carlsberg Germany), Jan Biering (VLB), Jan Freitag (Brewery Director, Holsten Hamburg), Victor Shevtsov (EVP Group Integrated Supply Chain) / (back right) Michael Jakob (VP ISC Group New Technologies), Polina Ananina (Sen. Manager ISC Group Capabilities), Larysa Ryback (VP ISC Group QA & Brewing-Processing) / (bottom row) Course participants and Burc Yavuzdogan (2nd from right, Director Group Brewing Capabilities)

The participants of the first course of the Carlsberg-ISC Brewmaster Academy on March 31 at the VLB Berlin