It is a challenge and there are days when you think to yourself, what am I getting myself in for? But you put your shoulder to the wheel, grit your teeth and get on with it. At the end of the day, if you were left standing around looking at someone doing the work you would leave the place. A job in a meat factory, you get stuck in. There is no looking, there is always something to be done.”

William Delaney tells it as it is. The 23-year-old Laois native began his two-year graduate programme at Dawn Meats in September last year. Since then he hasn’t looked back. Working in sales and operations, the Waterford IT graduate is adapting to working life in, as he says himself, “the fast-moving industry that is agriculture”.

When I spoke with Delaney, he left me in no doubt that the meat industry is a challenging profession, but one that is ultimately rewarding.

But let us rewind for a minute. Delaney began his career in agriculture on his family’s dairy farm in Pike of Rushall in Laois. After the passing of his father, 10 years ago, the farm is currently under tillage in a share farm agreement.

For Delaney, experience from home gave him a deep-rooted interest in these enterprises. However, his interest in meat processing came over time.

“I have always had an interest in dairy. Our home farm was originally dairy until my father passed away. Today it is a shared farm under tillage, but I still kept the love for dairy. It is big in the area and it is in the blood,” Delaney explains.

“When I was in third year of WIT we got a tour of the Dawn Meats factory in Granagh in Waterford. Being from a dairy and tillage background I found the whole process of how the meat factory worked very interesting.”

Applying for the graduate programme

“When it came to deciding what to do after college, I really didn’t have a clue. There were other students in my class who knew exactly where and what they would be doing, but I certainly didn’t.

“I did the Dawn Meats and McDonald’s Great Agri Food Debate in college in 2017 and got speaking with managers and former graduates of the Dawn Meats programme.

“I got different perspectives on the company and what it would involve. It sounded like a tough job, but all jobs are going to be tough. I wanted a challenge when I left college and I knew this would keep me on my toes,” Delaney explained.

How to apply

Delaney went through a formal method of application. A set of interviews, including a presentation with the company in the summer of 2017, saw him offered a place on the two-year graduate programme in July 2017. He began his posting in September. But having spent over six months in the job, what are the day-to-day roles in the graduate programme?

“It is a very efficiently run environment, so for that reason you get great variation in your work. The first six to eight months of the programme are spent on the factory floor. That is tough work, there is no doubt about it. You are not a general operative, but you have to familiarise yourself with the various parts of the business. For example, it’s important that you learn the different trimming specifications of the carcasses,” he explains.

“Another example would be if you were choosing cuts for high-end customers you would need to select cuts that would meet their specific requirements. So you would spend time with the boning hall manager learning what specific cuts to select and begin to understand what the different international markets require. So when you are on the factory floor you divided your time between each of the sections.

“At the end of the day, you can’t sell meat without knowing what you are selling. That is why you need to learn the whole process.”

After six months on the factory floor, Delaney now splits his time between the sales office and the factory. In his time on the floor, he has gained experience to allow him sell the product, which is the idea of the programme.

“My job is in sales and operations, so that entails taking care of orders, but also taking stock and keeping tabs on things. The few months on the floor are great because it gives you the base to do this. Even though I am spending more time in the sales office now, I still have to keep an eye on the products every day, which is fantastic,” Delaney continues.

There is little doubt but that the former WIT student found the going tough as he entered the working world.

“Look, you are given the responsibility which I like. You are not seen as a student here, you are working. It is probably a big jump for a lot of people and a shock to the system. And you will make mistakes. I have made a few in my time here already, but you learn more from them than the days when nothing goes wrong.”

With plenty of ambition and enthusiasm, Delaney no doubt aims to move through the ranks with Dawn Meats. Participation in the graduate programme will certainly aid that path. CL

To enter the application process to the programme, those interested need to apply to gradie@dawnmeats.com. The online process is closed, however the closing date for receipt of applications is end of April.