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The International Wine Center in New York City runs the WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) programs in the USA. They claim this is a program that trains you to become a wine professional.
The claim is totally bogus. They are not certified to run a school for sommeliers or wine professionals. They are not even registered as a school in New York! Their claims violate New York state laws*. This means their certificates and diplomas are illegitimate.
You cannot legally use a WSET certificate to gain employment, not only in New York, but anywhere in the USA. You can even loose your job if you have a WSET diploma on your resume!
This company has been defrauding students for at least ten years, which means thousands of people have spent untold amounts of money with this company. Since the IWC is the most popular wine education program in the USA, this is probably a multi-million dollar scam.
*The IWC/WSET have violated the following NY laws regulations by claiming they offer professional training for the food & wine industries:
New York Laws: Education : [protected]) Private Trade And Correspondence Schools
“Schools required to be licensed or registered. No private school or computer training facility which charges tuition or fees for instruction and which is not exempted hereunder shall be operated by any person or persons, firm, corporation, or private organization for the purpose of teaching or giving instruction in any subject or subjects, unless it is licensed or registered by the department. ”
See also:
Section 126.10 of the New York State Eductation Departement Regulations
Oh please, it's a certification school, not an accredited University. The aim of the program is to fill in the gaps of your knowledge, not give you a free ticket to a career. That is something you need to do for yourself!
That is very interesting information.
WSET UK www.wset.co.uk listen them as a as Certified provider...
Can you recommend where I can find certified WSET school?
Or what is a most recognizable sommelier /wine sales profesional certification in the world that offer classes in or near New York?
Ridiculous! The WSET Diploma program is recognized by the Masters of Wine as a direct prerequisite course for candidacy to the MW program. The International Wine School his headed by Mary Ewing Mulligan, the first MW in the United States and the courses are offered by distinct professionals in the industry. Read some of their bios, their experience is staggering. This is a serious course for those serious about their advancement in the beverage industry. I believe that this complaint must be personally motivated and is definitely based on incorrect information.
Oh Karl W, you poor little boy... You must have flunked out of one the units (or maybe even the advanced) and now you have your knickers in a bunch because there are no refunds for losers (OOPS, I mean failures)!
"You cannot legally use a WSET certificate to gain employment, not only in New York, but anywhere in the USA. You can even loose your job if you have a WSET diploma on your resume!"
This is completely bogus. How can you be charged for having any type of certificate listed on your CV. Just because something isn't registered in the States, then it is not recognized? What happens if you earn the certificate outside of the US - like in the UK, for example, where it is recognized? Is it still not recognized. Can you still be "charged" ? Can you still lose your job? Bloody American system at work - again!
I would suggest that you remove this post, the article is libelous and untrue. The WSET certification is THE international education board for the wine industry. The Master of Wines is it top level course. A WSET diploma, is the next best thing to have on your resume other than MW (Master of Wines), of which there are very, very few (under 300), because it is so damn hard.