Ceremony marks First Winery Apprenticeship Program at DSCC

DYERSBURG, Tenn. — Multiple organizations have come together to support a growing industry in Tennessee.

Celebrating their official winery apprenticeship signing with DSCC and Crown Winery are apprentices and husband and wife Kaylee and Ben Leach of Jackson.

Dyersburg State Community College, Crown Winery, Viticulture Enology Science and Technology Alliance, Tennessee Farm Winegrowers Alliance, and the Northwest Tennessee Workforce Board partnered for the first Registered Winery Apprenticeship Program.

The program aims to help the state keep up with its growing grape and wine industry.

“The wine industry continues to grow across the entire state of Tennessee,” said Tyra Copas, executive director of the Tennessee Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship. “The Crown Winery and Dyersburg State Community College Apprenticeship Program is a model program for the wine industry, and could be duplicated throughout the state.”

Husband and wife, Ben Leach and Kaylee Leach are the first two to participate in the program, and they began their apprenticeships in August, according a news release from DSCC.

“We could not be happier to see the culmination of two years collaboration involving discussions, planning, and administrative work come to fruition when Dyersburg State led the way in adopting the program and Crown Winery put forth our state’s first two candidates, Ben and Kaylee,” said Adam Acampora, executive director of Tennessee Farm Winegrowers Alliance.

The release says DSCC and Crown Winery held the signing ceremony for the program the on Tuesday, September 29.