01 April 2024: Diageo India (United Spirits Ltd.), one of India’s leading Alco-Bev companies, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Skill Council for People with Disabilities (SCPwD) to train 300 Persons with Disability (PwD) in Food and Beverage Services under its ‘Learning for Life’ program. Senior members from NAB (National Association for the Blind) Karnataka and other affiliates from the industry also attended the event. This initiative is aligned with Diageo India’s commitment to promoting Inclusion and Diversity, a key pillar of Diageo’s Society 2030: Spirit of Progress goals.
The residential training programs will be conducted in SCPwD-affiliated training centers by certified trainers and assessors across India. The students will be trained for roles in the Business and Hospitality sector to negate the skill divide in the workforce and enhance productivity.
Hina Nagarajan, MD & CEO, of Diageo India, said, “Driven by the common objective of creating a vibrant and diverse workforce, we are delighted to expand our partnership with the Skill Council for Persons with Disability. Last year, we began this initiative by extending the scope of our ‘Learning for Life’ program, to include the PwD community to help them overcome employment barriers. We strengthen our commitment this year to promote sustainable growth by scaling up this program to provide equal access to the right resources, skills, and employment opportunities across India.”
Ravindra Singh, CEO, of the Skill Council for Persons with Disability (SCPwD) said, “We are delighted to partner with Diageo India whose commitment to inclusion and diversity is exemplary. Last year, we trained 100 Persons with Disabilities as part of Diageo India’s ‘Learning for Life’ program. The success of this program encourages us to expand this specially curated programme which focuses on providing hands-on training in hospitality skills and enhancing employment opportunities.”
During the year, the first batch of 100 students and the second batch of 300 students including persons who are Visually Impaired, have Low Vision, and are Speech & Hearing Impaired, will graduate from Diageo India’s ‘Learning for Life’ program. The tailored programme includes special learning modules and assisted technologies including sign language instructors to enable learning and upskilling.