Skills, Spirit, and Second Chances: How Diageo’s Learning Skills for Life Program Is Changing the Future of Hospitality

As industries evolve and economic pressure intensifies, access to meaningful job training is no longer optional it’s essential. And for many in underserved communities, it can mean the difference between stagnation and stability. At the heart of that work is Dr. Danielle Robinson, Head of Community and Engagement Partnerships at Diageo North America, the powerhouse behind the transformative Learning Skills for Life (LSFL) initiative. More than a hospitality training program, LSFL is a pathway one built deliberately for people often overlooked: underrepresented groups, veterans, individuals restarting their lives, and those simply seeking a real chance. Over ten years, more than 5,000 graduates have moved through the program, carrying with them new skills, new confidence, and in many cases, entirely new careers.

Interview by Angel Neal

When I ask Dr. Robinson to describe LSFL in her own words, her answer is grounded, direct, and full of purpose.

“Learning Skills for Life is our flagship community and hospitality training program,” she explains. “It’s hands on bartending and hospitality training, but also entrepreneurship and soft skills financial acumen, budgeting, teamwork, appreciation of disability, diversity, and inclusion.”

This isn’t just training it’s life building. The communities LSFL serves often face unseen and unspoken barriers. According to Dr. Robinson, one of the biggest is simply awareness.

“People don’t know how much opportunity exists in the hospitality industry,” she says. “Not just bartending but bar managers, event planners, lawyers, HR, finance. This industry is consistent. People always need it.”

Where most programs teach the “what,” LSFL teaches the “how,” “why,” and “what’s possible.” What makes LSFL different is that it’s created from the community outward.

“It’s run by a spirits company, but designed with the community in mind,” she emphasizes.“It’s quic anywhere from one to six weeks but powerful. People graduate and get jobs. Or they launch their own mobile bartending business. That’s the point.”

It’s job training with intention. And the stories reflect that. Dr. Robinson lights up when talking about her students. She has hundreds of stories, but a few the transformative ones anchor her purpose. She talks about a young woman from one of their early cohorts:

“She’s so busy now I can barely keep her with me,” she laughs. “She’s been on ‘Bar Rescue,’ worked the Grammys, started her own mobile bartending company. She consults on bar menus. She’s touched every part of this industry.”

Another student in Houston, a military veteran starting over, walked in shy and unsure and walked out a keynote speaker.

“I told her, ‘Speak from the heart.’ She became valedictorian. Now she speaks publicly for a living.”

There are also students escaping domestic violence. Students seeking asylum. Students rebuilding from scratch. LSFL doesn’t treat them as trainees it treats them as whole people.

“We deal with the whole person,” Dr. Robinson says. “Childcare, resumes, mock interviews whatever it takes to truly set someone up for success.”

I ask her how it feels to spot LSFL graduates behind real bars, in real restaurants, living the life the program helped unlock.

Her smile is immediate.

“It’s fulfilling,” she says. “We keep track of our students. When I’m in D.C. or Connecticut and walk into a bar and see them creating great cocktails it feels incredible.”

While Dr. Robinson didn’t personally attend an HBCU, her dedication to those institutions is undeniable.

“I love the culture, the camaraderie, the family of HBCUs,” she tells me. “We want to be a corporation that shows up.”

That’s the heartbeat of Diageo’s Show Your HBCU Spirit campaign, presence, partnership, and pride. HBCUs produce creatives, leaders, and innovators, the kind of people who thrive in hospitality when given the right tools.

“It’s a legal hustle all day long,” she says. “We teach them it’s not just about the cocktail it’s the experience. People follow bartenders because of how they make them feel.”

In a landscape where cost of living is rising, free training becomes vital.

“Bartending classes run about $900,” she reminds me. “We offer it for free. It’s a leg up especially now.”

When I ask how Diageo builds relationships with local partners, her answer is strategic and layered.

“It’s multi pronged,” she explains.“We work with national accounts Hilton, Marriott, Applebee’s and partners like Goodwill Kentucky and the National Urban League. Our online modules fit right into HBCU business school curricula.”

This is not charity. It’s ecosystem building. Her vision for the future of LSFL is expansive.

“I hope it continues to grow beyond bartending into deeper hospitality and entrepreneurship,” she says.“And that people know who we are that we show up, that we’re present, that we’re in community.”

Her message is simple:

“It’s going to be okay.”“If you made it through four years of college, PWI or HBCU you are prepared. Have confidence. Put the phone down and talk to people. Human connection makes you more valuable than AI ever will.”

As holiday season approaches, she encourages a balance between strategy and self care.

“Do your research, find companies that align with you but also rest and restore. It’s been an emotionally stressful year.”

A new LSFL website launches soon, but for now, students and alumni can start online:

“Diageo Bar Academy is the place. And soon, diageolearningskillsforlife.com. The modules are interactive, global, and you can complete the online program in a weekend.”

“Seeing my students do big things,” she says softly.“Some launched conferences, like ‘Raise the Bar’ in the DMV. People making careers, showing up at homecomings, enjoying our cocktails responsibly that’s what keeps me going.”

I ask her to fill in the blank: Empowerment means…

“Being motivated internally to reach for the highest of the highest,” she says.“If one route doesn’t work, pivot. Don’t give up. Success changes day to day, Dr. Robinson admits. I’m a mom, a first lady, part of many community groups. But success is closing your eyes at night and saying, ‘I did a good thing today.’”

Employment isn’t just about a paycheck it’s about identity, dignity, and direction. And programs like LSFL don’t just place people in jobs; they open doors to possibility, wealth building, and community impact. And as Dr. Robinson reminds us sometimes one class, one invite, or one moment can change a life. Like the student who casually mentioned she had 250K followers, and walked out with a global Smirnoff partnership the same day. In this industry, timing is everything.But access is everything else.