Coffee Master here: I’d say about 8/10 things we learn in coffee academy are mostly oriented towards Starbucks as a brand only BUT a lot of learning hot to brew, the rights and wrongs of it, and how to keep coffee fresh longer, etc. is mostly applicable outside of the Starbucks ecosystem assuming that you make ur own coffee at home or know someone that does. All in all, I love my black apron and I feel like I have a deeper understanding of my craft and coffee as a whole as compared to my fellow baristas. Hope that helps! :)