Red Stripe: positioning people for jobs

Avia Collinder, Business Writer

Red Stripe Jamaica is in the hard business of beer and beverages, but now the company is giving reign to its softer side, as dispenser of knowledge and job skills.

The company operates from the tough Spanish Town Road, Kingston industrial belt, where its plant is ensconced behind guarded gates.

But Red Stripe has stepped out from behind its secure compound into surrounding low-income communities where, for two years, it has been been involved in teaching employment and other skills to residents with limited earning prospects.

The idea did not originate with Red Stripe, but is an offshoot of a Diageo Latin America and Caribbean programme.

Still the Jamaican brewer has put J$35 million into the 'Learning for Life' project that also reaches out to students to teach responsible drinking.

"Learning for Life aims to transform lives of underprivileged people in the communities in which we operate, directly and indirectly providing education and skills to the disadvantaged," Red Stripe Managing Director Alan Barnes told The Gleaner.

The company recently completed recruitment for two additional programmes: 'Project Design' for 80 persons and 'Construction' for 40, targeting residents of west Kingston communities.

And, it has executed two 'Project Bartender' training courses for 75 students, two 'Project Artist' courses for 38 students and a recently launched Project Bartender programme, incorporating 20 students at the University of the West Indies (UWI) as "direct social intervention".

The UWI programme is part of the UWI Health Centre's 'Safe and Responsible Drinking' programme.

As designed by Diageo throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, Learning for Life seeks to provide "transformational opportunity" to a targeted 50,000 individuals by the end of 2011.

This, Barnes notes, will hopefully have a "multiplier" effect, "positively impacting 750,000 people as a result".

Partnering

Programmes are implemented in partnership with established educational and training organisations in the island and focus on areas of competency, including general skills for graduates to find work in tourism, retailing, the arts and/or hospitality.

These focus areas "lean into Diageo's existing capabilities," Barnes said.

Project Bartender, launched on October 30, is being conducted by Bars to Go Training Institute.

Through the training of 22 bartenders who will be assigned to various social events at UWI, the aim is to promote and support responsible drinking on the campus.

The comprehensive curriculum will be covered within 32 hours over a one-month period.

Specialised courses being offered include introduction to the beverage operation, operating a bar, preparing and serving non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, cordial/liqueurs, and responsible drinking/serving.

Successful participants will receive HEART Trust/NTA accreditation that qualifies its holders to work in the local and international hospitality industry.

Red Stripe says it will roll out the Learning for Life project nationwide starting January 2011, targeting at-risk, unemployed young adults, ranging in ages from 18 to 25 years old.

"We have certainly achieved our objectives against our key performance indicators and are extremely pleased with the transformation of the students enrolled, the visible improvements in soft skills development, the employment potential they now boast and the company's own ability to utilise their skills — thereby empowering them economically through the provision of jobs at many of our marketing activations, internally and externally," said Barnes.

"Many of our graduates have gone on to do exceptionally well in their jobs, some of whom were given permanent positions at a number of our on-trade partners upon completion of their internship programmes," he said.

"One student was even selected to represent Latin America and the Caribbean at an Investors' Conference in London; many others from Project Artist have been signed to recording labels boasting a number of released singles as far away as Japan and London."

The first Diageo Learning for Life Initiative was launched in Jamaica in 2008. Barnes said the company benefits from the project in the form of "increased staff morale through their individual participation in the programme, improved corporate reputation and development of sustainable relationships with our partners resulting in amazing relationships".

The project brings to life our purpose of "celebrating life, every day, everywhere," he told The Gleaner.

Diageo is a producer of spirits, wines and beers. Brands include Johnnie Walker, Red Stripe, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Buchanan's, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Navarro Correas, Beaulieu Vineyard & Sterling Vineyards wines.

The United Kingdom company currently trades in more than 200 countries.

austanny@yahoo.com