Vinica Education Society is a not-for-profit society incorporated in British Columbia, Canada, focussed on diversifying the wine industry through innovative education and professional mentorship. We focus on supporting adults that are passionate about wine, but are experiencing systemic barriers to participation and advancement in the industry.
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Equity in Wine Leadership – Fully Funded Wine Industry Training
Are you interested in working at the management leadership level in the wine industry? Want to advance your wine career with top-level training? Prepared to invest your time in learning this fall?
Do you identify as an Indigenous person, Black person, or a person of colour… and live in British Columbia?
Then you should apply for our Equity in Wine Leadership Program! Read more about our program below our alumni photo gallery.
Fully-Funded Wine Training
Vinica Education Society hosts a comprehensive training, mentorship and internship program to support aspiring IBPOC (Indigenous people, Black people, and people of colour) wine professionals to advance their careers. Our life-changing Equity in Wine Leadership 13 week full-time training program is fully funded for qualified participants.
We have successfully run the Equity in Wine Leadership Program three times, in a hybrid format for participants living across BC, and we are thrilled to be offering a fourth cohort training session in the fall of 2026! Check out the photos of our amazing program alumni above.
This intense, life-changing 13 week program includes three residency weeks in the Okanagan Valley, two weeks of internship placements in various locations throughout BC, and online study, training and mentorship. The program includes:
WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) Level 2 and Level 3
BC Wine Ambassador Level 1
Wine industry-specific business training
Cultural empowerment seminars, DEI and Indigenous training
Strong connections to BC and beyond wine industry employers
Mentorship with top IBPOC leader in the global wine industry
A project-based internship to make connections and build your resume
Important Dates
Please note all residencies weeks are mandatory in-person attendance. The internship weeks will be completed either online or in person throughout BC, according to the availability of internship placements, and the goals of the program participant.
Online training and study is part-time (4-8 hours 5 days a week) during all non-residency and non-internship weeks between August 31, and November 27, 2026. The commitment includes a combination of real-time online learning and self-paced study during these weeks.
August 31, 2026: Online training begins.
September 14–18, 2026: Residency 1 in Kelowna, BC
October 5-9, 12-16, 2026: Two week internships throughout British Columbia
October 19–23, 2026: Residency 2 in Naramata BC
November 23–27, 2026: Residency 3 in Osoyoos, BC
November 27, 2026: All training is complete.
Participant Criteria
The Equity in Wine Leadership is a fully funded training program for people who are passionate about wine but are experiencing barriers to participation or advancement in the industry. Participants may live in any part of British Columbia but must be residents in British Columbia.
The 19 participants for our 2026 program will be selected based on the following criteria:
identifies as an Indigenous person, Black person, or a person of colour
is 19+ years old
has a keen interest in wine and loves learning
would like to pursue a management or leadership-level career in the wine industry
can commit to 5 full days a week of training during the residency weeks, full-time learning and participation during two weeks of internship placement and part-time (4-8 hours a day) study throughout the other weeks of the 13 week program
is a resident of British Columbia
has a SIN (social insurance number)
is a Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident, or Protected Person entitled to work in Canada.
Support
This training program is fully funded for qualified participants and also includes additional travel and accommodation subsidies for participants to attend the three residency weeks and internship placements.
Apply
We are currently accepting applications for the Equity in Wine Leadership program. If you meet the participant criteria, can commit to the training dates, and are keen to advance your career in wine, please apply now!
We interview candidates for suitability in the order that applications arrive. After applying, expect to be contacted within a week by our Vinica program registrar. You’ll get to ask all your questions to a real human and see if the program is right for you.
Vinica Education Society is offering this training opportunity through funding made available by the B.C. Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills and the Community Workforce Response Grant.
Additional support is also provided by Wine Growers BC:
