Industrial placement reaps many benefits for CAFRE National Diploma students

An important part of CAFRE’s two-year National Diploma Course takes place outside of the classroom, when students are encouraged to undertake a 12 week placement within the agri-food Industry on the summer break between their first and second year studies.

National Diploma student Lucy Stewart completes her Industrial Placement at Mackle Pet Foods.

Preparation for placement includes CV development and interview practice, with help from the Loughry Campus placement co-ordinator in recognising and applying for placements in sectors that the students have identified an interest in.

Previous placement roles have included students being employed as Production and Quality team members, New Product Development (NPD) assistants, laboratory staff and in customer-facing roles.

The opportunity to undertake a placement as part of the National Diploma course is extremely beneficial for students. National Diploma Food Nutrition and Health student, Lucy Stewart, is completing her placement with Mackle Pet Foods.

Speaking about her experience to date, Lucy said: “I feel like placement will benefit me in second year as I have learnt the theory at Loughry Campus and I can now link it to the workplace and further enhance my knowledge in year 2 based on my practical experience.”

Lucy’s placement has given her an insight into a variety of daily duties within the company, where she is carrying out sensory panels and weight, temperature and foreign body checks, to name but some of her tasks.

As well as giving students the opportunity to put into practice what they have learnt throughout the first year of their studies, they get to experience what the world of work is like. Lucy’s placement at Mackle’s has been extremely enjoyable so far.

“The thing I am enjoying most about placement is getting hands on experience in a factory and the people I work with are all very friendly and helpful if I am unsure about anything.”

We are looking forward to hearing what Lucy and her classmates have experienced and achieved over placement when they return to their studies in September!

CAFRE continues to accept applications for September 2020 entry on the National Diploma Food Programme delivered at Loughry Campus. An application can be made by visiting the CAFRE website. To discuss your options further, please contact the team on our FREEPHONE number 0800 028 4291.

At CAFRE we are committed to providing a safe experience for our new and returning students at the Enniskillen, Greenmount and Loughry campuses.

The health and welfare of our students, staff and wider community continues to be our priority as we adapt to supporting your learning during the global coronavirus pandemic. Face-to-face delivery continues to be our preferred option and we are making plans to do so safely, following expert advice. Practical learning is an important aspect of the National Diploma Food Programme and delivery of practical learning opportunities will be prioritised.

Where it is not possible to deliver all aspects of the programme face-to-face, a blended learning approach will be adopted which means some elements of your programme may be delivered by remote learning lectures. The residential accommodation, dining rooms and library facilities will be available from September 2020 in line the Public Health Agency guidance at that time. 

Students are asked to regularly review the FAQs and Student Handbook provided on the CAFRE website. You should also continue to refer to the Public Health Agency website for the latest health advice.

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