Dawn Meats has today (Thursday, January 29) confirmed the return of its management development programme for a seventh year.

The 10-month programme is run in association with The School of Agriculture and Food Science at University College Dublin (UCD).

The initiative is open to employees of both Dawn Meats and Dunbia, which is the UK division of Dawn Meats.

Dawn Meats

Since the programme was launched in 2015, over 150 managers have completed the course, with 38 taking part this year.

The programme is designed to support both personal and professional growth through a combination of management, leadership, and sustainability modules.

It includes elements of part-time study, project work, coaching sessions and teamwork.

Philip Tallon, chief operations officer at Dawn Meats, said the company values its partnership with UCD on the programme.

"It was a pleasure to address the new cohort on the opening day of the programme, and we look forward to seeing their personal and professional growth as they build their industry knowledge and key management skills," he said.

Prof. Frank Monahan, dean of agriculture at UCD and head of the School of Agriculture and Food Science, said the programme is "aimed at future leaders, with a focus on developing the skills needed to thrive in an agri-food industry".

"Through a combination of academic learning, coaching and project work, participants gain the confidence and ability to engage with real-world challenges and drive innovation," he added.