Goodwill Industries of Kentucky and Diageo North America Partner to Develop Career Opportunities in the Hospitality Sector

By: Diageo North America via Business Wire

April 03, 2025 at 09:00 AM EDT

The Learning Skills for Life program aims to empower participants with essential skills that can be utilized in Kentucky’s thriving tourism, lifestyle, and hospitality sectors.

Goodwill Industries of Kentucky and Diageo North America have partnered to provide free job readiness skills and training to Kentucky residents to support employment in the fast-growing hospitality sector across the Commonwealth.

To ensure participants’ skills are aligned with the needs of hospitality employers in the area, the program offers training in all aspects of the hospitality industry, including customer service and food safety. Learning Skills for Life is a program that creates a comprehensive support system for participants through tailored guidance from career coaches, bridging the gap between certification and employment.

“Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is proud to partner with Diageo to help build career pathways in hospitality for our clients who are working to combat poverty,” said Dennis Ritchie, Goodwill’s Senior Director of Reentry Services. “We appreciate Diageo’s investment in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and look forward to the positive impact from this collaboration.”

The partnership between Goodwill and Diageo is a testament to both parties’ commitment to provide individuals in underserved communities with pathways to meaningful employment. By leveraging Diageo's expertise in providing business and hospitality skills through the program, Goodwill will ensure participants receive high-quality training that meets industry standards.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Goodwill Industries and invest in talent development and upskilling to support an aspiring hospitality workforce in Kentucky, home to some of our most important operations in the U.S.” said Danielle Robinson, director of Community Engagement and Partnership at Diageo North America.

With a strong manufacturing presence in Kentucky, Diageo has invested nearly $290 million in the Commonwealth since 2019. Its operations support over 1,700 jobs across the distribution, retail, and hospitality sectors in Kentucky.

In North America, Diageo operates the Learning Skills for Life program through local partners in seven locations, including Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, Toronto, USVI, and D.C. Over the past two years more than 4,000 individuals from underserved communities have graduated from the program.

The Learning Skills for Life program administered by Goodwill Industries is open to its clients and employees. The program has been made possible through a $75,000 grant from Diageo North America.

For more information about Goodwill’s programming, visit GoodwillKY.org.

About Goodwill Industries of Kentucky

Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is a 101-year-old nonprofit organization that operates in 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. The organization is committed to using resources from its 67 retail stores to help build pathways out of poverty for individuals who need a hand-up in life. In 2023, Goodwill helped place 3,185 Kentuckians into jobs with its 1,330 employer partners and inside its own retail stores. Goodwill uses approximately 90 cents from every dollar generated in its retail stores to operate programs and services that help Kentucky’s hardest-to-serve job seekers build the life they desire.

About Diageo North America

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodka, Casamigos, DeLeon and Don Julio tequilas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray, and Guinness.

Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: DGE) and their products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practices. Follow on Instagram for news and information about Diageo North America: @Diageo_NA.