A training course for young unemployed people graduated its first batch of north-east students in Aberdeen yesterday.
Eleven students completed the four-week hospitality and bartending course launched by drinks giant Diageo last year.
The students are now set to embark on two weeks’ work experience at some of Aberdeen’s top hotels, restaurants and bars as part of the Diageo Learning for Life: Hospitality and Bartending Course. All of the graduates have also been offered interviews for full-time jobs in the sector, the company confirmed.
Inga McVicar, National Programme Manager for Springboard, Diageo’s training parner, said: “This is our first class to graduate in Aberdeen since Diageo Learning for Life launched in Scotland last year.
“I’m proud to say that not only we have delivered in the training aspect, but we’ve also provided many young people with links to top-class employment opportunities.
“We have a great network of business partners, including Sodexo, that recruit for some of the biggest sporting events on the calendar such as the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the St Andrews 2015 Open.”
The programme was run at Pittodrie Stadium where yesterday Kirsty Blackman MP and Kevin Stewart MSP presented each of graduates with a specially-designed commemorative Boston cocktail shaker and portfolio containing the accredited qualifications they gained while on the course.
Kirsty Blackman MP said: “I am delighted to be part of celebrating the achievements of these young people in Aberdeen.
“The Learning for Life course has taught them new skills, giving them a real foot in the door to employment in the hospitality industry.
“Scotland’s hospitality industry is a vital part of our country’s economy and it’s great to see this course launch in Aberdeen. I hope that it continues well into the future, equipping more young people with the skills to start careers in Scotland’s thriving hospitality industry.”