For companies in the food, beverage and consumer products industries, staying competitive means investing in talent. For decades, employers have been turning to UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program to quickly upskill their teams, build expertise and support career advancement.

Mondelez International, one of the world’s largest snack companies, and Griffith Foods, a food and beverage manufacturer, have used UC Davis CPE’s online certificate program as a scalable training solution for decades. Since 2002, Griffith Foods has sent employees through the program as part of the company’s professional development opportunities. Mondelez International sends employees through the program annually, with nearly 30 employees having earned certificates to date.

Built into their workforce development pipeline, both companies use UC Davis CPE’s certificate program as an intentional part of their workforce training efforts.

Bridging Skills Gaps Quickly

According to Marcia Young, former senior director of consumer science at Mondelez International, the Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program has been instrumental in helping her educate, train and promote scientists on her team.
Initially, Young used the program to educate new hires from her team who had little or no formal training. She later began relying on the certificate program to quickly bring members of her team up to date on the fundamentals of sensory and consumer science.

“When I hire someone from within Mondelez who is a senior scientist or higher but has little or no consumer science experience, this program gives them the fundamentals quickly, orients them to the field and provides a formal education to complement their applied RDQ skills,” said Young. 

She also relies on the program to help educate employees advancing within the organization, enabling technicians with hands-on lab and panel experience to build the educational foundation needed to fully perform the role of a scientist. 

“I don’t have the luxury of time to teach them the science. I need to get them going quickly,” said Young. “The program quickly brings my employees up to date on the science and provides a formal education to accompany applied skills.”

A Competitive Advantage for Companies

At Griffith Foods, UC Davis CPE’s certificate program is more than an opportunity for individual development. It has become part of the company’s organizational strategy. 

“Sensory is one of our greatest competitive advantages in the market,” said Julia Tyrpin, director of sensory science for North America at Griffith Foods. “All Griffith sensory scientists are encouraged to complete the certificate program.”

Tyrpin said the program’s deep dive into sensory science provides a deeper understanding of the subject than is typically available in introductory food science coursework. 

“This program provides scientists with a broad toolbox of sensory tools and the confidence to apply them in their roles at Griffith Foods,” said Tyrpin. “It is an excellent program that reinforces fundamentals of sensory and consumer science and practical business applications. There are no other programs available that provide this type of education in sensory and consumer science.”

Driving Career Growth

As a career-focused program designed for working professionals, UC Davis CPE’s sensory program provides the skills and confidence to advance in the field of sensory science. 

For companies like Mondelez International and Griffith Foods, employees who complete the program gain the skills and knowledge to excel in their roles and become better positioned for promotions, expanded responsibilities and leadership opportunities.

“They have more confidence in supporting their clients, managing projects, drawing conclusions and making recommendations,” said Young. 

As demand for sensory science expertise continues to grow, companies that invest in structured, high-quality training programs are well equipped to innovate, compete and retain top talent.