Malcolm progresses from ND to postgraduate Communication Diploma

Hi, my name is Malcolm McCauley and I have just graduated with my postgraduate diploma in Communication. This was my third time graduating at Loughry and although the Loughry ice cream at the graduation tea party is very tasty, it was not the only reason to be there for the third time in seven years. I first graduated with a National Diploma in Food Technology in 2003, and given its practical emphasis I was able to hit the ground running in my first job as a supervisor in Tenderlean Meats. It was great to be able to get out and earn some money, but I also wanted to continue my studies so I completed the Food Technology Degree on a part-time basis, graduating in 2008.

The postgraduate Communication course has been very different from my previous Food Technology courses which were more technical in nature. I have gained so many new skills which I have found invaluable in my job, avoiding as best as I can the dreaded “communication breakdown”. One of the best parts of the course is meeting with students from very different backgrounds, comparing issues, sharing common problems and seeing how they had used different approaches.

I have recently changed jobs; I am now the General Manager with Upper Erne Lakes Poultry, producing high quality free range poultry for the multiples in GB and ROI. In this new challenging role I am drawing on the knowledge from all three of my courses at Loughry with the communication course being key to managing change in this fast moving food industry. I have really enjoyed my nine years at Loughry and appreciated the opportunity to progress from ND through to Postgraduate Diploma. One benefit of my training is that in my spare time I have set up my own hygiene training business called MM Training Services, combining the skills gained in the communication course with my technical knowledge from the Food Technology courses at Loughry and my experiences in the food industry.

The staff at the campus really know their stuff and in my current role I still visit to get advice from the technical advisers based there.  However, if I want any more Loughry ice cream I think I will just pop up into their shop, unless I come back as the guest speaker at graduation in a few years time!

Malcolm McCauley who received his postgraduate Diploma in Communication at the Loughry graduation ceremony