Multinational Diageo steps up to empower hospitality students

Beverage company lends its considerable weight to education

- By Setumo Stone

Deputy Minister of Higher Education Nomusa Dube-Ncube lauded the Learning for Life programme for bringing together the state, private sector and academic institutions.

(Gallo Images)

On Thursday, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, joined stakeholders at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to celebrate the launch of the latest instalment of the Learning for Life Programme, spearheaded by multinational Diageo South Africa.

In a country grappling with a youth unemployment rate of 46.1%, the initiative identified the hospitality sector as a beacon of hope for many young South Africans. Yet, for thousands of students pursuing careers in this vibrant industry, the dream of graduation often hits a roadblock: the lack of funding for mandatory industry placements required to complete their qualifications.

Speaking at the launch, Dube-Ncube painted a sobering picture of the unemployment crisis in South Africa.

"Just two days ago, Statistics South Africa revealed that our economy shed 80000 jobs in the second quarter of this year. That represents a 0.8% decline in employment, leaving only 10.51 million people formally employed."