Diageo India partners with SCPwD for training programme

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.

Hina Nagarajan, MD & CEO, 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’ 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.”

Ravindra Singh, CEO, 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’ 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.”

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.