Future has never been so bright for Ireland’s agri-food students
CAO statistics for 2013 again show a rise in applications for agri courses, continuing the trend of the last few years.
Interest in agri-related courses has doubled in the past five years with a 6.6% increase in applicants this year. CAO points required for entry to the various agri courses have also increased.
So what exactly are the jobs available to graduates with a BagrSc degree? Students with a BagrSc from UCD have a great record in gaining challenging and fulfilling roles.
Careers in sectors such as food, agriculture, business and services include technical service and consultancy, research, education and primary production of quality food and fibre products.
Let’s take a look at some well-known and some not so well-known holders of BagrSc degrees and the prominent jobs they have either held, or still hold. From the broad Agricultural Science qualification, graduates find work in a variety of roles and sectors.
Familiar names such as Mairead McGuinness (Irish MEP), Matt Dempsey (former Irish Farmers Journal editor), Aidan Cotter (CEO Bord Bia), Maeve Dineen (business editor, Irish Independent), Owen Killian (CEO Aryzta, highest paid CEO in Ireland in 2012), John Moloney (group managing director, Glanbia), Frank O’Mara (director of research, Teagasc), Andy Doyle (chairman of the oireachtas joint committee on agriculture, food and the marine), Darragh McMcCullough (Irish Independent journalist and presenter, Ear to the Ground, RTÉ), Tom Arnold (ex-CEO Concern Worldwide) and Zoe Kavanagh (CEO Irish Dairy Board) are all graduates of the programme.
UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science graduates have excellent employment opportunities. The percentage of graduates going directly into employment each year is also typically higher than comparable programmes at UCD such as Science, Engineering, Arts (UCD First Destinations Report).
Matt Dempsey
I spoke to Matt Dempsey who is probably best known as the editor of The Irish Farmers Journal between 1988 and 2013. Matt is currently the chief executive of The Agricultural Trust which publishes The Irish Farmers Journal, The Irish Field and The Irish Catholic.
Mr Dempsey’s contribution to society extends much wider however, he has served as chairman on many committees. Matt was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science by UCD in 2010. He gained a BagrSc degree from UCD in 1969. He was awarded the degree of doctor of science for his contribution to Irish agriculture on a broad scale from educating farmers to contributing to graduates education. Mr Dempsey told me that he completed the degree with the intention of becoming a farmer. His first job was as a producer of agricultural programmes for RTÉ radio. He said that his degree prepared him for a job in a lot of sectors due to the broad subject nature of the course. A lot of Mr Dempsey’s fellow graduates went into banking, research, advisory and some went abroad. He doesn’t think that jobs will dry up in the agricultural sector with the high amount of graduates that will be coming out of the colleges. I asked Mr Dempsey if today’s Agricultural graduates have enough skills and knowledge to prepare them for jobs not directly related to agriculture? “As long as they are willing to learn from employers, I think they are ready,” he said.
I also asked Mr Dempsey if he ever expected to become such a well-known figure in farming and agriculture after he completed his degree? “I didn’t have expectations, I just took it as it came and I was lucky too,” he replied. “Do something you like and are interested in, it makes doing your job easier and enjoyable.”
I asked Mr Dempsey what message he would deliver to agricultural graduates at a graduation ceremony? “To develop a sense of curiosity, keep learning and asking why,” he replied. Mr Dempsey continues to farm even while he was editor of the Irish Farmers Journal and currently the chief executive of The Agricultural Trust. He told me that he found the degree a great help with the farming and the other work he did at the same time. “It made for a nice mix,” he said.
Mr Dempsey would encourage future farmers to do a degree in agriculture.
“It’s expensive and long but they complement each other and it provides a good background,” he said.
Demand for places
With an increase in demand for courses which will lead to a steady flow of BagrSc graduates coming out of UCD and indeed other colleges. what employment opportunities can the graduates expect?
Will the sector be flooded by graduates leading to intense competition for jobs and graduates facing unemployment?
Prof Alex Evans, head of UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science and Dean of Agricultural Sciences, said: “It is encouraging, but not surprising, that our school has received a further increase in CAO application numbers for 2013.
“Employment prospects for the agri-food sector, Ireland’s largest indigenous industry, are excellent and projections for agri-food are very positive — the increase in CAO applications to UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science programmes in 2013 is a response to that positivity.”
Each year, the school coordinates a careers fair for final year students and at this year’s event in Feb 2013 more than 30 exhibitors attended. It’s fair to say unemployment among agriculture graduates is likely to be non-existent in the near future. If you have just graduated, then take Matt Dempsey’s advice and “take everything as it comes”. That’s how he was successful.
