EIGHTY Jamaicans have been certified in bartending and agriculture under the Diageo Learning For Life skills training programme which is held in association with the Heart Trust/NTA.

The students graduated on February 19.

Cedric Blair, Red Stripe’s managing director, said this batch of graduates has pushed Red Stripe’s investment in the programme to over $60 million.

“We have made this investment simply because we believe we have a duty to inspire our young men and women to greatness. More specifically, it is an investment in the abilities and confidence of a generation of young people struggling for opportunity,” Blair said.

Guest speaker Yaneek Page, managing director of Future Services International Limited, told the graduates that the future of their success depends on their efforts to use the training and certification they have received.

“Red Stripe has given you a significant opportunity. They’ve made an investment in you so it is now your duty to make the most of it. Share the knowledge you’ve learnt and pay it forward,” Page said.

Learning For Life is an award-winning and globally recognised skills and training programme designed to transform lives in the countries in which Diageo conducts business. The programme has impacted over 100,000 lives in the last seven years, with Jamaicans accounting for over 11,000.

— Ainsworth Morris