Agri Careers 2017 will take place on Thursday 30th March 2017 in the RDS Main Hall, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 brought to you by Irish Farmers Journal and open eir. Click here for more information.

Click here to register for Agri Careers 2017

The agricultural industry is a crucial pillar of the Irish economy. One in eight jobs in Ireland is supported by the agricultural sector, while one job in food manufacturing alone supports five additional jobs across the Irish economy.

This compares to foreign direct investment, where every one job in that particular area supports just one other job.

Given the role agriculture plays, the quality of jobs within the sector, and the fact that a huge proportion of those jobs are in the most rural parts of the country, it is crucial agri-jobs are promoted, and receive the recognition they deserve.

This is partially why the Agri Careers Fair was established and, after an extremely successful 2016 event, Agri Careers 2017 was launched on Thursday. Attending the launch were Carolan Lennon, managing director open eir; Justin McCarthy, editor of the Irish Farmers Journal; and Mary Phelan, careers editor in Irish Country Living.

BROADBAND FOR BUSINESS

Carolan Lennon said: “We’re delighted to partner with the Irish Farmers Journal again this year for the Agri Careers Fair. We all know the critical role the agricultural sector plays in Ireland when it comes to job creation.

High-speed broadband is critical to rural Ireland – it allows businesses in even the most rural communities to compete on a global platform.

“It also opens up new ways of working. Employers can offer more flexibility to employees who want to work from home or other locations. We are working hard to bring high-speed broadband to rural Ireland, and we are currently the only oper-ator in the market doing so.”

Agri Careers 2017 will take place in the main hall in the RDS on 30 March. The day kicks off with a breakfast briefing, which provides an opportunity for employers to network with each other before the doors open and the real business of the day begins: when employers from across the agricultural industry meet top talent to place in their jobs.

Listen to a discussion of Agri Careers 2017 in our podcast below:

Listen to "The Agri-Careers fair is back in 2017" on Spreaker.

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The main stage will be busy all day, as it hosts a range of experts and people who have already carved out a successful career in agriculture. But while securing employment will be the main work of many people on the day, the Agri Careers Fair is much, much more than a jobs expo.

There will also be a range of other features – some returning from last year, such as the career advice hub – while there will also be brand-new forums, particularly for our younger audience, for whom we are designing a special hub.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

The most exciting development for Agri Careers 2017 is the Irish Farmers Journal AgTech Summit, which will take place on the day of the fair and the evening before.

The evening event sees a host of experts and businesses come together for “couch sessions”, where they will impart their knowledge and anecdotes from the world of ag tech. If you can’t make that event, however, the Irish Farmers Journal AgTech Hub will be in full flow at the fair.

Justin McCarthy, editor of this publication, has a mantra: “The best assets in this company go up and down in the lift every day.” He knows it’s the right people who make a business successful. But from an employee perspective, it’s also crucial to find a business that’s the right fit for you – and the Agri Careers Fair is the perfect place to do this.

It is also the perfect place to hear firsthand about the work of open eir, and Carolan says: “Myself and my team are looking forward to sharing our rollout updates at the Agri Careers Fair, providing more details on our apprentice recruitment programme and engaging in some lively discussions about how we can all work together to help the agricultural sector thrive.”

They say past behaviour predicts future performance, and last year the Irish Farmers Journal, in partnership with open eir, delivered 7,000 attendees, almost 50 exhibitors and 1,120 jobs. We intend for Agri Careers 2017 to be bigger and better. So mark 30 March down in your calendar now.