Eimear Hunter

My name is Eimear Hunter and I am from Mowhan in Co. Armagh. I have just completed the National Diploma in Food Science and Manufacturing Technology at Loughry, one of CAFRE’s three campuses.

I heard about CAFRE and the range of courses they offer from a family friend who studied at the College and highly recommended Loughry to me. My brother, who studied at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus, also had a strong influence in encouraging me to consider studying at the College. When I started to research what study options CAFRE could offer to me after I completed my GCSE’s, I discovered the great range food courses offered at Loughry including two Further Education Courses in Food that were of great interest to me and that would keep my options open for Higher Education study as they are equivalent to three A levels. The National Diploma in Food Science and Manufacturing Technology was of most interest to me as I knew it would give me the opportunity to learn about food from ‘farm to fork’ and open up a wide range to exciting career pathways in the agri food industry.

I have really enjoyed my course at Loughry where I have learnt about all aspects of food science and food technology, in particular the importance of producing safe, high quality and sustainable food products. I have particularly enjoyed the practical aspects of the course where I have had the opportunity to develop many important skills that I will need in my future career and have gained a lot of hands on experience which is very relevant to the agri food industry. Our classes have been very interactive and I have particularly enjoyed the aspects of classroom learning where I participated in group work, team challenges, presentations and problem solving activities.

During my two years completing the National Diploma, I have made a lot of new friends and gained a lot of independence as I lived in the Residential Accommodation on Campus. I have also developed my time management skills that have helped me ensure I submit all my assessments on time without being under the watchful eye of my parents checking that I have all my work up to date! I have gained a lot of Industry experience both inside the classroom and on my 12 week paid work placement which I completed in the Lairage at ABP Food Group between Year 1 and Year 2 of my course. This provided me with an excellent opportunity to experience the real world of the agri food industry, to apply my learning from the classroom to real life situations and to further develop my skills.

Having recently graduated with a National Diploma in Food Science and Manufacturing Technology, I have decided to progress to Higher Education study at Loughry and am enrolling on the Higher Level Apprenticeship (HLA) in Food and Drink Manufacture which gives me the opportunity to study for a Foundation Degree in Food and Drink Manufacture, validated by Ulster University whilst working full time. I am completing this qualification in conjunction with ABP UK who were my placement provider. I am really looking forward to this next step of my career journey where I will be able to earn as I learn and continue to study at CAFRE.

I advise anyone who is considering one of the Food programmes at Loughry to go for it! These programmes prepare you really well for the world of work in the agri food industry with many different career pathways to pursue. Campus life is great! I had to move away from home during the week as it was not practical to travel to the Campus every day. If you have to do the same, don’t worry about it. I settled in really quickly, made lots of new friends and have some great memories of the last two years as a Further Education student. I certainly have no regrets about leaving school after completing my GCSE’s to study at CAFRE.