12 Inverness students kickstart career in hospitality through Diageo programme
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12 students from Inverness are learning more about hospitality on the latest Diageo Learning for Life course.
The students will complete a six-week bartending and hospitality course which offers entry level training in bartending and hospitality, including work experience in local pubs, bars and restaurants.
Hospitality vacancies per 100 jobs exceeded any other sector last summer and, in the Highlands alone, 13 per cent of jobs are in hospitality.
Diageo Learning for Life is an award-winning bartender training programme, through which the company invests £1 million a year in offering opportunities to young unemployed people in the UK to get into hospitality careers.
Since launching in Scotland in 2014, more than 2000 people have graduated from the programme.
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Kyle McLaren completed the same course in May run by the drinks company and secured a full-time role with Cru Holdings.
He works as a bartender at Cru’s Prime Steak & Seafood restaurant in Inverness and said: "I heard about the Diageo Learning for Life programme from my local job centre in Inverness and I never would have imagined how much I could learn.
"My favourite parts of the course included the practical skills day and our visit to the Glen Ord Singleton Distillery where I learned about cocktail making and I quickly realised that bartending could provide a fantastic career.
“I love working in hospitality because I enjoy being able to improve my skills at drink preparation and more effectively provide customers higher quality service.
"This experience has not only boosted my confidence in pursuing my dream career in the industry but also equipped me with the skills needed to work confidently in a busy environment.”
See here to find out more about Diageo Learning for Life and how to apply
