The Expo: one month on

It has been one month since the Agri Careers Expo in the RDS. Over 1,300 jobs were available on the day of the event and the final attendance count reached over 7,000. But how did the exhibitors and the attendees find the event and was it what they expected? Irish Country Living speak with seven of those who were at the event.

Marketing manager, FRS Network

The Agri Careers Expo was the right fit for us. We had our recruitment agency who recruit for various roles for our agri business and food sector clients, a farm relief services business which was seeking to recruit farm workers and our fencing business which was looking for fencing erectors. Overall, we had over 100 jobs available and we wanted to get out in front of job seekers to showcase these various roles throughout the country.

We expected to be busy talking to people – and we were. At the 2017 Expo, our recruitment agency side was busier, but this time around there seemed to be a revived interest in on-farm jobs, which was great for us as both sides were busy. We expected a well-organised event and that was delivered. Our feedback from the previous events was listened to and applied.

In a panel discussion with Aidan Brennan in the Farming Space, we got the opportunity to talk about what the role of an FRS operator entails and the various training and exchange initiatives we have in place in FRS.

This showed the wide range of routeways we have to start and advance a person’s career in farming. The only bad thing was the traffic home to Tipperary, down the canal and N7 roadworks!

Dawn Meats Group

We expected to meet students/recent graduates with a genuine interest in a career in our industry. It didn’t disappoint and we met lots of interested candidates. The genuine interest and standard on the day really set it apart from other graduate recruitment fairs we attended in the latter part of 2018/early 2019. Other features for us that we liked were that it wasn’t over-crowded with businesses and the timing was very good. Students are engaged at this time of the year around their careers in my opinion. There was no real highlight of the day apart from a lot of candidates having a good knowledge of our industry and business as a whole.

BSc (Hons) in agriculture at Dundalk Institute of Technology

As a final year student, I wanted to talk to people who work in the agri industry and get a feel for what is out there. I also wanted to get an idea of possible graduate placements and further study opportunities that are available. I expected to see the ‘big names’ in the Irish agri food industry.

I imagined seeing workshops targeting graduates where speakers would be giving tips and hints on applications and interviews. For the most part, the day did live up to my expectations.

There were companies actively seeking graduates and had staff on hand to explain the different roles and how to apply.

The highlight of the day for me was networking with people who work in the industry and getting their opinion on Brexit. I also really enjoyed the talk by Tom Coll on heifer rearing in the west of Ireland.

Dairy business, UCD

The opportunity for students to interact and network with existing employees of individual agri food companies prompted me to attend the Agri Careers Expo – an opportunity which appears to be less-common in other industries today. I expected to receive a representation of the scope and variety of jobs available in the industry.

The event excelled at meeting these expectations, with multinational companies such as Glanbia, Kerry Group and Ornua among others present and hungry for talent on the day.

Seeing the vast range of opportunities available in the industry, as well as how the Expo covered all aspects of the industry and packed so much knowledge and great speakers into one event, I commend the Irish Farmers Journal on the organisation of such an event and I am looking forward to attending again in the future.

HR manager, Devenish

I was delighted to attend the Agri Careers Expo as part of the Devenish team. As one of the main sponsors, we were keen to increase our profile with potential employees in Ireland, including those who may be considering our current vacancies such as those on our graduate programme and also those who might consider opportunities with us in the future.

The event was a great success. It was fantastic to see so many people in attendance and get to speak with people face-to-face.

For me, one of the highlights was meeting such a diverse range of people from all age ranges and backgrounds. Well done to the Irish Farmers Journal.

Commerce, UCD

“I heard about the Agri Careers Expo through social media. I was encouraged by the wide variety of companies and the various roles that were on offer. It seemed like there was something for everyone no matter what discipline or career you were looking to pursue. For me personally, the main factor was marketing. I had several, very meaningful conversations regarding future career prospects which do not happen at all careers fairs I can tell you! There was a warm and positive atmosphere at the event and the speakers present were fantastic. All the organisers/staff were extremely friendly and helpful. I had the pleasure of taking part in the Interview Clinic that was on offer which was very insightful.

“The day surpassed all expectations and considering it was free to attend, I couldn’t recommend attending the next one any more highly! To anyone looking for new career opportunities or a chance to network with like-minded driven individuals, the Agri Careers Expo is the place to go.”

Food and agribusiness management, UCD

“I attended the Expo as I felt it was an easy way to meet companies with whom my qualification suited. I didn’t know what to expect but I discovered that actually talking to the companies about what may suit me was extremely beneficial. They were able to inform me of roles that may not be advertised or that I would not be aware of. The highlight of the day was the excellent discussions on stage and meeting some of my classmates, which is always nice.”