Application Criteria

Wine Empowered has some exciting developments in store for 2025!

Check back in May 2025 for more information about applications for our 2025-2026 classes.

We welcome applicants who fit the below criteria to apply for Wine Empowered’s tuition-free wine education program.

(1) Applicant must be a woman and/or belong to the following definition of a minority as established by the federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC): Black (all persons having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa), Hispanic (all persons of Mexico, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture of origin regardless of race), Asian or Pacific Islander (all persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent or the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, China, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippines Islands, and Samoa), American Indian or Alaskan Native (all persons have origins in any of the original peoples of North America, and who maintain cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.

(2) Applicants must be currently employed, full-time, in the hospitality industry in a service, culinary, or support role in an on-premise food service establishment (defined as: a restaurant, hotel, city or country club, events venue, or airline. We currently do not accept applicants in the retail or distribution industries).

(3) Applicant must be able to provide a letter of reference from a supervisor affirming applicant’s good employment standing, and willingness of the employer to allow applicant to attend all scheduled classes with no conflict to their work schedule.

(4) Applicant must be based in the NY-Metro area.

We very much appreciate the high volume of applications that we receive, and we regret that we are unable to respond to incomplete applications, to applicants that do not meet the above four criteria and to applicants that we are unable to invite to continue on to an interview.