Ornua Graduate Programme to open as global campaign launched

The season of graduate programme applications is upon many students looking for employment after college. One of the most sought-after graduate programmes in the agri food sector, with Ornua, will open their application process this month, coinciding with the organisation’s worldwide campaign on career opportunities within the firm.

The graduate programme

This year, Ornua’s graduate programme opens on 19 September with the application deadline on 18 October, giving students a month to submit their applications.

Speaking with Irish Country Living, Majella Darcy, Ornua group human resources director said that there has been a strong focus on diversity within the programme and that they normally see a good 50:50 divide between male and female graduates.

There is also a focus on keeping the graduates on after the 18-month programme finishes.

“Our hope is that they [the graduates] all stay on. When they do not stay on, they may not be the best fit – if we recruit 14, we want 14 to stay on,” says Majella.

“We want people who are going to be quite resilient, open to change, people that are driven and have ambition,” she continued.

The organisation recruits graduates every year at graduation fairs such as the gradireland fair. This year saw seven graduates join but there are usually between 12 and 18 graduates annually.

Although the programme has run for many years, it was re-launched in 2016. It lasts for 18 months in total of learning in the business, classroom modules and skill development.

Applications to the programme can be made at grad fairs or online at www.ornua.com/careers.

Ornua are also launching a new global campaign this month. One of the aims of the campaign is to highlight the various career paths such as finance, operations, sales, marketing, IT and science within the organisation.

The campaign wants to attract top talent in the company’s key markets and support the delivery of bringing top quality Irish dairy to 110 markets worldwide.

“Ornua will become more well-known and as a destination in terms of careers,” Majella explains.

Ornua owns Kerrygold, Pilgrim’s Choice, Dubliner and BEO milk powder brands.

They supply Irish dairy ingredients to global food manufacturers in markets such as Africa, China, Germany, Saudi Arabia and, of course, Ireland.

The campaign

The print and digital campaign will be rolled out in markets including Ireland, the UK, Germany, Africa, and the USA in September and October.

Although careers are more of a subset of the campaign, Ornua are always looking for new talent.

“Globally, we’re recruiting on an ongoing basis,” says Majella.

“The campaign aims to present Ornua as an employer in a new light,” she emphasises.

The company switched name from the Irish Dairy Board to Ornua in 2015 and it has over 2,000 staff worldwide, with their headquarters in Dublin.

Perks of the job

What distinguishes Ornua from the horde of other agri businesses?

“One of the big attractions is that we’re a global business,” explains Majella. She says that graduates from the Ornua Graduate Programme often list the opportunity to travel and develop their career over different sectors as reasons to work in Ornua. Additional perks would include competitive salaries and upskilling along the way.

“We are continuously focusing on developing our own people whatever level they may be at,” she concluded.

One such example of an Ornua globetrotter is Daniel Kelly. Daniel is the Ornua regional manager for West, Southern and East Africa and is based in Port Elizabeth in South Africa. Originally hailing from a dairy background in Tipperary, Daniel has travelled across the world with the company. “The opportunities are there if you put your hand up for them and work hard,” he says. Daniel manages Ornua’s ingredients and consumer business in this region and has previously worked with the organisation in Dublin and Chicago.

Travelling is a huge part of the job

“I usually travel at least once a month. You could be travelling two weeks out of the month,” Daniel says.

He frequently travels to Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and Senegal, three large West African markets for Irish Ornua brands such as Kerrygold.

He described Ornua products as “quite well-received” in the region.

“West Africa would be the poorer market but they appreciate the quality and security of the supply.”

What enticed him to the job was the “opportunity to sell Irish produce, grow the business and see the world”.

He has a big passion for the dairy industry and says that Ornua has provided him with a lot of opportunities. Daniel would recommend the company to people thinking of applying for Ornua positions, and has done so to friends in the past.

He was recently promoted within the company and can definitely see himself spending at least the next two or three years in his current role in South Africa.

“There is room for people to grow,” he says.