With support from the local philanthropic community in Hong Kong, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is proud to offer Level 1 Award in Wines and Level 1 Award in Spirits online courses at no cost to drinks industry professionals in Hong Kong affected by the downturn in business associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.

A minimum of 200 professionals will be able to sign-up to this programme, which will be run online by WSET and lasts approximately four weeks, giving candidates the opportunity to increase their industry knowledge and skills while they are unable to work. Candidates will choose to join one of either the Level 1 Award in Wines or Level 1 Award in Spirits online courses.

Two sets of courses will be run starting from mid-August. Places will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis with registration closing for each set of courses one to two weeks before the start date:

Registration for the first set of courses, accommodating 100 participants, closes on August 5th, with access to the Online platform from August 17th.

Registration for the second set of courses, accommodating 100 participants, closes on August 19th, with access to the Online platform from August 31st.

Additional courses or places within the scheduled courses may be added subject to demand.

Each student accepted onto the course will be expected to attend a final exam in person when conditions allow.

To be eligible to join one of the courses, candidates must:

• be a Hong Kong resident aged 18 or over
• be on unpaid leave, had their employment terminated, furloughed or otherwise ceased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic (evidence of financial hardship will be taken into account)
• have a sufficient level of English to complete the online course and sit a multiple-choice examination

Upon successful completion of the examination students will receive a WSET issued certificate and lapel pin.

Level 1 Award in Wines

The full course is based around a 4-week, 7 module online learning programme with educator support available for this time. The course modules should be followed in order, but you are free to complete the modules at your own pace during this 4-week window. The course material should take about 6 hours in total to complete, plus revision time.

Introduction

A beginner level introduction to wine suitable for those at the start of their career and equally so for those pursuing an interest in wine. You will learn how to taste wine using a systematic approach and be able to identify the main styles of wine. Additionally, you will learn to apply these to food and wine choices.

For a full outline of learning outcomes please view the specification at https://www.wsetglobal.com/media/6201/wset_l1wines_specification_en_mar2018.pdf

Level 1 Award in Spirits

The full course will is based around a 4-week, 5 module online learning programme with educator support available for this time. The course modules should be followed in order, but you are free to complete the modules at your own pace during this 4-week window. The course material should take about 6 hours in total to complete, plus revision time.

Introduction

A beginner level introduction to spirits for those at the start of their career in the industry or pursuing an interest in spirits. This online course will guide you through the world’s key spirit categories and production methods. The course is designed to introduce spirits in an interactive, structured and concise manner. You will learn how to taste spirits using a systematic approach.

For a full outline of learning outcomes please view the specification at https://www.wsetglobal.com/media/8422/wset_l1spirits_specification_en_jul2020_issue12.pdf

Course Format

Student activities - weekly tasks, group tasting area, multiple choice feedback tests and videos. There are no set times to log into the course as there are no live chats or webinars. After the scheduled course end date, the material becomes read only and you cannot post in the activities. All study materials are included in the online course.

Educator

Your Educator will be there to provide guidance through the 4 weeks of learning.

Prerequisites

There are no prior educational requirements for this course, however it will be assumed that students have basic computer literacy, internet navigation skills and a good level of English.

Students will require access to a computer (recommended) and/or smartphone or tablet with the requirements found here: https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10720

Examination Date: Tentatively end-September (subject to Covid-19 social distancing restrictions)

• Examination: 45 minutes – 30 multiple-choice questions
• Students must bring photo ID to the examination

Result

Candidates will need to gain a pass grade of 70% or more.

On successful completion of the examination the candidate will receive a WSET certificate and lapel pin.

Costs - waived

Course includes:

• All Tuition
• Access to WSET Online Classroom
• One attempt at examination
• Certificate and Lapel Pin on successful completion of examination

Any travel, accommodation or examination resits are at students’ own cost.

Terms and Conditions

Eligibility

Potential students must be Hong Kong residents, over the age of 18 who have had their employment impacted by the outbreak of Covid-19 and subsequent social distancing measures implemented by the government of the Hong Kong SAR.

Reasonable Adjustments

WSET Asia Pacific Limited seeks to handle all candidates in a way that puts them at no disadvantage, or advantage, over other candidates.

A reasonable adjustment is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the candidate at a substantial disadvantage whether in the classroom or assessment situation.

At the time of enrolment candidates must specify any special needs which may require a reasonable adjustment during training at the teaching venue or at the time of the examination.

Data Protection

WSET has a legitimate interest in collecting and processing personal data including a candidate’s name(s), date of birth, gender and email address for the purposes of examining and awarding WSET qualifications and collecting feedback from candidates. In some cases, additional information (which may include sensitive personal data relating to health) will be collected to support requests for reasonable adjustments and special consideration. Such personal data will be supplemented by the results of examinations and assessments undertaken by the candidate.

A candidate’s personal data will only be collected by us in the context of examination registrations and/or certification claims. It will not be used by WSET other than for the administration of the examinations process, conducting assessments and certifying results. Personal data within candidate’s work will be collected and processed by WSET for the purposes of marking and issuing examination results and providing candidates with post-results services.

In the case of charitable initiatives, candidates may be invited to share their experiences of the course. If consent is given by the candidate this information may be used for the purpose of promotion of WSET charitable initiatives through social media, printed or online publications.

WSET has appropriate measures in place to ensure the data held on our systems is secure. In the event of an unauthorised use of data or data loss, the individuals concerned will be notified and a recovery plan implemented.

We keep your information safe by storing your information securely and restricting access to authorised users only.

Further details, including the full Reasonable Adjustment and Data Protection policies are available to candidates upon request made by email to APACCourses@wsetglobal.com