Diageo promotes sustainable growth through inclusive programmes that provide equal access for all to resources, skills and employment opportunities.
For example, Diageo's longest-running, most successful skills programmes, Learning for Life, that has supported women like Bianca Lima [pictured below] to thrive in their careers and pursue their passions. Bianca's cocktail and bartending expertise has taken her to the top – in 2020 she was declared champion of the World Class Competition, Brazil for her competition entry channelling Brazilian folklore. Bianca is now a head bartender and consultant. And she is a graduate of Diageo's Learning for Life Programme.
Leading the way on ambition to build skills
Learning for Life provides tools, training and skills in key areas related to Diageo's industry and value chain including hospitality, entrepreneurship and bartending. The programme matches high-potential individuals with vacancies in the industry and works to reduce the gap between people’s skills and the competencies required by employers. It is Diageo's flagship programme and will help lead the company on the way to Society 2030: Spirit of Progress ambition to champion inclusion and diversity throughout its value chain by providing business and hospitality skills to 200,000 people.
Learning for Life began in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) in 2008, continues to thrive across the region, but the programme is also used as blueprint for other regions delivering hospitality and business skills training programmes across the world.
Promoting gender equality and sustainable growth
Learning for Life is designed to:
- Promote gender equality and empower women and girls
- Promote inclusive sustainable growth
- Promote skills, employability, and lifelong learning
- Promote better health and well-being.
Learning for Life matches high-potential individuals with vacancies within the industry and works to reduce the gap between people’s skills and the competencies required by employers. By ensuring work experience for at least 70% of participants, the programme supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of achieving employment and decent work for all.
Creating opportunity across Latin America and the Caribbean
As the Covid-19 pandemic meant a reduction in face-to-face training, Diageo accelerated the virtual and online components of Learning for Life across LAC. In Venezuela, Diageo developed a virtual classroom format, working with the Universidad Simón Bolívar in Funindes, to deliver a Merchandising and Gastronomic Digital Marketing programme which contained modules in subjects including human rights, inclusion and diversity, positive drinking, employability, the Diageo Way of Selling, and brand passion. This year, 46 women and 34 men graduated from the programme in Venezuela.
In the Dominican Republic, where nearly 7,000 students have graduated from Learning for Life since 2010, Diageo had 129 graduates, 70% of whom are women.
Across LAC as a whole, 2,580 people graduated from hospitality and business training programmes, with the new skills they need to succeed – showing that the programme continues to create opportunity in the region where it all began.
Advance your career at Diageo
At Diageo, you'll find career-enhancing challenges all across the business, all around the globe, with people taking on memorable challenges and working with iconic brands.
Research a job role that suits your skills and ambitions.
Find out more
Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.