If you’re an undergraduate or recent graduate with a passion for Irish food and drink, coupled with a strong desire to convert that passion into a rewarding career, the Bord Bia International Graduate Programme may be the next move you’ve been looking for.

The programme offers ambitious graduates a practical route into Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture industry, and applications for the next cohort of international graduates are now open.

Beginning his second year of the programme is Paul Fitzgerald. Currently placed in the client and stakeholder engagement team in the drinks and seafood sectors, he said he has had an interest in Irish food and drink his whole life. “Both sides of my family are involved in the business, so my mom’s side is very much into horticulture and they’ve owned garden centres – that’s where my first work experience was,” he explains. “I was always surrounded by fresh produce so that meant I was always interested in it.”

Having become aware of Bord Bia’s International Graduate Programme, Fitzgerald decided to apply. “I wanted to gain more knowledge about the sector and what Ireland has to offer on a worldwide stage,” he says. “I also thought it would add more to my CV than any other graduate programme or job I would go for, seeing as we not only study for a master’s degree in global business practice at the UCD Smurfit Business School, we also get two genuine years of practical and hands-on experience with Bord Bia.” The interview process for the highly sought-after programme is competitive, but Fitzgerald prevailed.

Now more than halfway through, he is effusive about the myriad networking opportunities the programme has provided. “With a 24-month programme, we really get to know the clients, we get to know the people that we deal with, we get to make connections across the industry and that’s both in Ireland and abroad,” he notes. “That’s invaluable for anyone that’s looking to get their career started.”

Travel has also been a big piece of his first year, with Fitzgerald saying this has helped him to gain valuable experience at international trade fairs and exhibitions. “Again, it all leads back to those valuable connections that you make by meeting people face to face.”

Fitzgerald says he has already honed a wealth of transferable skills in areas such as stakeholder engagement, project management and market research, and is keen to stay working within the industry when he graduates from the International Graduate Programme. “I’d love to work in the client and stakeholder engagement side again and just see how I can help Irish food or drink businesses grow.”

As if to underscore Fitzgerald’s point about networking opportunities and the long-term value of the connections built through the International Graduate Programme, Maresa Ronan is a clear example of how the programme can provide a direct pathway into a career in Ireland’s food and drink industry.

After completing her BESS undergraduate degree at Trinity College Dublin, she knew she wanted to continue her education, but was looking for more than a traditional master’s degree.

The opportunity to combine postgraduate study with meaningful industry experience was what attracted her to the International Graduate Programme.

Maresa was a Bord Bia International Graduate from 2023 to 2025 and undertook her placement in London, supporting Irish food and drink companies operating in the UK market. She gained practical, in-market experience across meat, seafood, alcohol and dairy, supporting activities ranging from product events and public relations to retailer engagement.

“The role was quite broad, and I loved that I covered four different categories that were all very different,” she says.

The programme also meant living and working in a new city, adapting to different ways of working, and building a professional network within the industry. It was through the International Graduate Programme that she was first introduced to Blanco Niño, a connection that ultimately helped lead to her current role as assistant brand manager with the Tipperary tortilla chip producer.

“It was through the International Graduate Programme that I got the introduction to the company and got to meet some of the team,” she explains. “My career has continued in London after the programme, where I’m now working for an Irish food company, so I feel I have the best of both worlds.”

Reflecting on the programme, Maresa also highlights the value of combining academic study at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School with two years of practical industry experience.

“It gives you such a competitive edge, having a master’s degree alongside two years of quality experience. I really saw that when I started interviewing with companies. The programme gave me real industry experience, helped me build a strong network and supported the start of my career in the sector. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking to build a career in food and drink.”

Conor Heavey, client and capability director with UCD Smurfit Executive Development, echoes that. “At UCD Smurfit Executive Development, we’ve been partnering with Bord Bia on the suite of talent programmes for 15 years, and what we’re seeing across industry is a clear shift: employers no longer judge readiness by the programme on someone’s CV, but by what they can actually do – the judgment and capability behind it,” he says.

“That’s why our Bord Bia International Graduate Programme is built around industry-informed capability development, shaped directly by what Irish food, drink and horticulture businesses need from their future leaders.” In practice, he adds, that means developing commercial judgment, weighing up trade-offs, navigating stakeholders, taking ownership of execution, and communicating and defending decisions under pressure.

With the Irish food and drink sector on a steep upward trajectory, Karen Connaughton, industry capability manager of the Bord Bia Talent Academy, says the ultimate objective of the Talent Academy is to bring talented people into the industry, upskill them and retain them after.

“There is a focus on careers from day one over the whole duration of the programmes,” she adds. This approach is proving successful.

“The Talent Academy continues to deliver strong results, with 95 per cent of participants from our latest programme cohorts securing full-time employment. Notably, three-quarters have chosen to continue their careers within the food, drink and horticulture industry, highlighting the programme’s success in retaining talent within the sector.

“Irish food and drink exports reached a record high of €19 billion in 2025, so shoring up the future talent pipeline is imperative,” Connaughton says.

“When you look at the industry, it’s really diverse and careers can span across international business, innovation, insights, marketing, sustainability, commercial strategy, human resources – and that’s not an exhaustive list.”

Connaughton notes the International Graduate Programme continues to evolve in line with the changing needs of the industry, including building participants’ practical digital and AI capabilities. Bord Bia is more than happy to invest in Ireland’s future food and drink experts. “We want people who are willing to take on a challenge, be flexible, be resilient and be open to live learning opportunities,” Connaughton says. “What they put into the programme is what they’ll get out of it. We really want people who are passionate about the food and drink industry and can see their future careers here.”

“If you are at the early stages of your career, or know someone looking to build a career in food, drink and horticulture, I would really encourage you to explore the Bord Bia International Graduate Programme, which opens for applications this September. It is a career-shaping opportunity to gain hands-on industry experience, develop valuable skills, build an international network and take a significant step towards a successful career in Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture industry.”

To learn more about the Bord Bia International Graduate Programme visit bordbia.ie/talentacademy