By Hayley Cobane, Food Technology Degree Graduate, Vion Food Group

Hi, my name is Hayley Cobane and I live near Dungannon. I graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Food Technology from Loughry Campus, Cookstown in June 2009.  

I have been very fortunate and secured employment with Vion Food Group, in fact even before my final exams in May! It was so much easier to stay focused for my exams knowing that I already had a job lined up.  I set my goal on achieving a First and am delighted that my commitment to study paid off and I now have a qualification to be proud of.  

I started studying at Loughry five years ago, enrolling straight after my GCSE qualifications on the National Diploma in Food Technology. You could say I took my career aspirations from my sister Ruth. At that time Ruth was studying at Loughry on a Degree course. She was always so enthusiastic about her course and the opportunities for jobs in the food industry, that I thought I would take her lead.  

During my time at Loughry I also worked part-time with Moy Park and gained invaluable experience for my CV. Loughry’s courses have a great element of practical experience which certainly helped graduates like me ‘hit the ground running’.  Loughry graduates are highly sought after in the food industry and a number of us in final year had the choice of jobs to go to. Studying at Loughry has developed me all round; my technical, business and communication skills have all improved. I know the food industry offers excellent career opportunities and I am really looking forward to a rewarding and exciting future.  I am not ready to leave Loughry just yet; I’ve enrolled on the part-time Communication course to further develop my management and communication skills.

Learning at Loughry has created great career opportunities for me!

Hayley Cobane is congratulated by her Course Manager, Mr John Courtenay, on getting her degree