The search is on for the next generation of talent for the Irish food and drink industry.
Are you passionate about the Irish food, drink or horticulture industry? Maybe you are wondering how you can get your foot in the door or maybe you're looking to further your career.
Well, Bord Bia in partnership with UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School wants to recruit recent and experienced graduates from all disciplines (food-related or not) to join the Bord Bia International Graduate Programme for 2023.
They are looking to attract and develop leadership for the Irish food, drink and horticulture sector in a bid to grow and foster the next generation of talent in the industry.
Bord Bia International Graduate Programme
The esteemed programme offers its students invaluable market experience, springboarding them on to a successful career in Ireland and abroad.
The programme is delivered through a blend of full-time work experience with a full-time Master’s. In practice, this means dividing the eight core academic modules into four seasonal two-week blocks on campus in UCD Smurfit Business School. Some of the modules students avail of are training in consumer insights, sustainability, brand marketing, digital innovation, and leadership.
Graduates will spend their 24-month placement working in one of Bord Bia’s 15 offices across their global network for on-the-job experiential learning working with client companies, new and established food and drink brands and other industry experts.
Headquartered in Dublin's Global Hub, Bord Bia also has offices in Amsterdam, Dubai, Dusseldorf, London, Madrid, Milan, New York, Paris, Shanghai, Singapore, Stockholm, Warsaw and more.
Throughout the programme, graduates will also be in receipt of a fully funded monthly bursary to support themselves and on completion will have earned a UCD Smurfit Business School accredited MSc in Global Business Development.
Graduates of the programme will be trained and gain experience in all aspects of agri-food business from export development strategies, building and using customer and market insights, marketing plan development and strategic marketing to delivering customer value propositions, logistics and supply chain management, business sustainability and more.
Speaking about the programme, Karen Connaughton, Industry Talent Manager at Bord Bia said:
"This combination of academic learning and on-the-job international experience provides an invaluable opportunity for anyone with ambition to be part of the next generation of Ireland’s food and drink industry leaders. This programme offers invaluable market experience to graduates, which can act as a springboard for a successful career in the food and drink sector”
At Bord Bia, we know the right people in the right places make all the difference. That’s why we strongly encourage anyone with a passion for Irish food and drink and who is seeking a dynamic opportunity to apply – no matter your academic background or where you are in your career."
Who should apply?
You don't need to have a food-related qualification to apply. Any Level 8 degree (on the NFQ Framework) with an expected or already attained 2:2 award is sufficient to qualify for applying.
Perhaps more importantly, Bord Bia is interested in people who have a genuine interest and passion in the food and drink industry in Ireland and how the businesses within it operate.
Think you have what it takes? Learn more about how you can apply for the Bord Bia Talent Academy International Graduate Programme here.
Applications close on 6th November 2022. The next intake will commence in June 2023.
