Weeks after confirming changes to its Q Grader Program, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has revamped the pricing structure of its range of educational programs.
Nations have been organised into five groups based on data from the International Monetary Fund and the Purchasing Power per Capita Index to ensure education costs reflect local economic realities going forward.
The SCA says it has made the move in order to ensure learning is more “accessible, affordable, and equitable” for coffee professionals around the world.
For example, an Authorised SCA Trainer (AST) in Group 5 will pay $975 per year, while a trainer in Group 1 will pay $115. A learner in Group 5 will pay a $50 fee per course to SCA, while a learner in Group 1 will pay $8.
SCA CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos says improving the accessibility of education in economically challenged environments will only serve to broaden the horizons of the international coffee industry.
“Education serves as the foundation for careers, leadership, and innovation throughout the value chain. It plays a vital role in our mission to make coffee better, with our research and standards continuously shaping the evolution of our curriculum,” Apostolopoulos says.
“After years of dedicated work, we are proud to introduce a new model designed to make our education more accessible and widely available.”
The transformation of its education pricing structure is the SCA’s latest move to improve global access to its services, and follows the introduction of free SCA membership from 2024.
The full pricing structure is available on the SCA Education website and will be fully launched in the coming months. The model applies to all SCA certificate programs, including the new Q Program.
