In Brazil, many young people face significant barriers when trying to access professional education and stable employment opportunities. This challenge is particularly acute for those from socially vulnerable backgrounds, despite growing demand for skilled professionals across hospitality, gastronomy and the wider drinks trade.

The Sommeliers do Futuro (Future Sommeliers) programme was created to help address this challenge by providing accessible wine education alongside employability support, equipping young people with the confidence, knowledge and skills needed to begin building careers in the hospitality sector.

The programme

The Sommeliers do Futuro programme is a partnership between Eno Cultura, Instituto Ser+ and WSET, designed to create new opportunities for young people in São Paulo through education and career development.

As part of the initiative, 15 young people from vulnerable backgrounds received fully funded scholarships to complete the WSET Level 1 Award in Wines. Alongside technical wine education, participants also completed a dedicated employability programme focused on communication, confidence building and workplace readiness.

Wine education was delivered by experienced WSET educators Thiago Mendes DipWSET, founder of Eno Cultura and one of Brazil’s leading wine educators, alongside Dr Renato Binati DipWSET, Director of Education at Eno Cultura and a specialist in wine microbiology and education. The employability and behavioural development programme was led by Pabulo Mendes from Instituto Ser+, helping participants build confidence and develop workplace-ready communication skills.

The programme was designed not only to provide technical knowledge, but to create a pathway into long-term employment and career progression within hospitality and wine-related industries.

Objectives

By providing the WSET Level 1 Award in Wines alongside employability training, the programme aimed to:

Increase access to professional wine education for young people facing social and economic barriers
Equip participants with essential wine knowledge relevant to hospitality and gastronomy careers
Build confidence in tasting, describing, serving and recommending wine professionally
Strengthen communication, leadership and workplace readiness through dedicated soft skills training
Support long-term employability through career guidance and professional development
Create new pathways into hospitality careers for underrepresented communities in Brazil

WSET's role in the programme

Project details

The scholarships were delivered in São Paulo, Brazil, through a structured learning programme combining technical education with professional development support.

The programme included:

15 fully funded scholarships for the WSET Level 1 Award in Wines

Four in-person wine education sessions delivered over two weeks at Eno Cultura

Around 20 wines tasted during the programme to build practical tasting confidence

16 hours of additional socioemotional and behavioural development training delivered by Instituto Ser+

Transport and meal support provided to ensure accessibility for all participants

12 months of employability support following programme completion

The selection process attracted strong demand, with 114 applications received, from which 15 scholarship recipients were selected following a structured application and interview process.

Outcomes and impact

The programme has already delivered significant measurable impact for participants, demonstrating the power of accessible education to create meaningful career opportunities.

Key outcomes included:

114 total applications, demonstrating strong demand for accessible drinks education opportunities

15 young people awarded full scholarships to complete the programme

100% course completion rate across all participants

100% attendance rate throughout the programme

87% pass rate, with 13 out of 15 participants successfully achieving certification

Net Promoter Score of +100, reflecting exceptionally positive participant feedback

Beyond the qualification itself, participants developed greater confidence in wine service, food pairing, customer communication and professional workplace behaviours - helping prepare them for long-term careers within hospitality, retail and wine-related industries.

TESTIMONIALS

"I was able to grow my client base, and I’m hopeful for new career growth opportunities — maybe even working abroad." Ariel Colletes, Sales Representative at Evino

"Over the sessions it became clear that students realised how the knowledge gained through Level 1 in Wines could help them understand the fundamentals of wine, feel confident in wine service, food and wine pairing, recommending wines and dealing with demanding customers. This qualification was the first step towards a successful career in wine." Thiago Mendes DipWSET, Wine Educator