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Diageo and Manpower maintain youth training

Published:Friday | June 21, 2013 | 12:00 AM
From left: Radcliffe McLean of Scotiabank; Tamelia Morris, a trainee; Dr Elvis Hewitt Buckle, Cedric Blair - managing director of Red Stripe; Garth Hinchcliffe - deputy chief executive officer of Manpower & Maintenance Services (MMS); Dianne Ashton-Smith - communications manager for Red Stripe; Michael Pusey, a trainee, Mayor Brenda Ramsay; and Audrey Hinchcliffe - chief executive officer for MMS. - Contributed

DIAGEO, parent company of Red Stripe has partnered with Manpower & Maintenance Services (MMS) to set up the Institute for Workforce Education and Development (IWED) to train 400 youths from Clarendon, Manchester and St Elizabeth.

The launch took place at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville on Wednesday, June 12, and guest speaker was Cedric Blair, managing director of Red Stripe.

The IWED project for Diageo is an extension of their Learning For Life programme, established in every region where it operates.

The students will be trained in the areas of housekeeping, customer services and supervisory management. Audrey Hinchcliffe, CEO of MMS, expressed her joy for the partnership. "The work of IWED is to train workers and prepare them for marketability and greater efficiency on the job," she said.

Hinchcliffe thanked Red Stripe for partnering with MMS, saying that, upon completion of their training, MMS will be assisting with job placement of the participants.

Cedric Blair shared his life experience with the trainees, from humble beginnings in the rural district of Robin's Hall, Manchester, to heading Red Stripe.

Blair, who is a past student of Holmwood Technical High School, expressed to the trainees the importance of displaying proper work ethics and giving their best at all times.

GIVING BACK

He said that Learning For Life is Diageo's way of giving back to the community. "This Learning for Life programme for Red Stripe, for Diageo and for me, is part of our culture, part of what we want to be. So, to have the opportunity to partner with friends, family and in my own community - I couldn't ask for more," Blair said.

He encouraged the trainees to make use of the opportunities. "Make the most of the training, participate, get involved, be a sponge for the training that is going to be available to you. Don't waste a minute, demonstrate a level of professionalism," he encouraged them.

The programme offers training in bartending, entrepreneurship, and in tourism and the retail trade.

Diageo has targeted to train at least 20,000 persons in Jamaica by 2016.