Diageo India signs MOU with Skill Council for Persons with Disability (SCPwD) to train students under its ‘Learning for Life’ programme

India/Bengaluru/NCR, 01 April 2024: Diageo India (United Spirits Ltd.) among the country’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) under its ‘Learning for Life’ programme. The event was also attended by senior members from NAB (National Association for the Blind) Karnataka and industry members. This initiative is aligned to Diageo India’s commitment to championing 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 centres by their certified trainers and assessors across India. The students will be trained for roles in the Business and Hospitality sector to enhance productivity and reduce skill gaps as they enter the workforce.

“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’ programme, 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 programme to provide equal access to the right resources, skills, and employment opportunities across India.”

Hina Nagarajan, MD & CEO, Diageo India

"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’ programme. The success of this programme encourages us to expand this specially curated programme which focuses on providing hands-on training in hospitality skills and enhance employment opportunities.”

Ravindra Singh, CEO, Skill Council for Persons with Disability (SCPwD)

During the year, the first batch of 100 students will graduate from Diageo India’s ‘Learning for Life’ programme. The second batch of 300 students will include persons who are Visually Impaired, have Low Vision and are Speech & Hearing impaired. The tailored programme comprises of special learning modules and assisted technologies including sign language instructors to enable learning and skilling.

About SCPwD

SCPwD was incepted in October 2015 jointly by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Confederation of India Industry (CII) under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), to fulfil the mission of mainstreaming ‘Persons with Disability’ (PwD).

About Diageo India

Diageo India is among the country’s leading beverage alcohol company and a subsidiary of global leader Diageo Plc. The company manufactures, sells and distributes an outstanding portfolio of premium brands such as Johnnie Walker, Black Dog, Black & White, VAT 69, Antiquity, Signature, The Singleton, Royal Challenge, McDowell’s No1, Smirnoff, Ketel One, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan and Godawan, an artisanal single malt whisky from India. Headquartered in Bengaluru, our wide footprint is supported by a committed team of around 3000 employees, 36 manufacturing facilities across states and union territories in India, a strong distribution network and a state-of-the-art Technical Centre. Incorporated in India as United Spirits Limited (USL), the company is listed on both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India.

For more information about Diageo India, our people, our brands, and our performance, visit us at www.diageoindia.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, http://www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practices.

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