New Finalists announced

Down High School Downpatrick, Friends’ School Lisburn; St. Killian’s College Carnlough and St. Louis Grammar Ballymena are our new finalists. The teams representing each school have received a mini-herd of Angus cross calves courtesy of the beef processor ABP and the Certified Irish Angus Producer Group. They will now have to rear their calves through to beef; pocketing the proceeds of their sale to ABP. Alongside the practical experience gained in beef farming, they will also work on special projects relating to sustainability that will be designed to complement their GCSE studies.

Congratulating the teams on becoming finalists, George Mullan, Managing Director of ABP in Northern Ireland said, “The ABP Angus Youth Challenge finalist programme encourages young people who are interested in farming and food to explore forward-thinking ways to develop a sustainable agricultural system. They’ll be researching customer and consumer requirements and how to tackle challenges facing our industry from an environmental, economic and social perspective.”

Supporting them on their projects will be four College of Agriculture Food Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) advisors who will mentor each team during their finalist journey.

All 13 pupils are in Yr. 11 and will also benefit from professional instruction to prepare them for the world of work such as communication and interview skills. They will gain insights and an induction to one of the Europe’s leading meat processors travelling with ABP and Certified Irish Angus on an international study tour.

To make it onto the finalist programme the pupils had to competed against 20 other school teams at in farm-to-fork exhibition at Halloween. Congratulating the pupils, Charles Smith, General Manager of Certified Irish Angus added, “these young people are the future lifeblood of our industry. The ABP Angus Youth Challenge is connecting with them at a crucial stage of their education and giving them a bridge between school and working in our sector.”

You can follow their journey on Instagram and Facebook #ABPAngusYouth       

We're open for new entries from 14-15 yr olds

If you are a 14-15 year old in Yr 11 living in Northern Ireland then this is your chance to take part in the new version of the ABP Angus Youth Challenge. The format has been updated for ease of supervision by teachers and ease of participation alongside GCSE studies. The competition still offers the chance to win great prizes – including a mini-herd of Angus cross calves to rear worth c.£3,500 and a three-day study tour with ABP. But it will complete within a shorter timeframe and events will take place outside term-time.

“In view of the disruption that schools have faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, we have worked with educators to streamline the competition. It is aligned more closely to learning outcomes of a range of GCSE subjects to support attainment. It continues to offer teenagers a unique work experience of beef production from farm to fork and complements their studies in a ‘learning-by-doing’ way,”

explained Charles Smith of the Northern Irish Angus Producer Group who co-ordinates the competition on behalf of ABP.

Our main events, such as the exhibition and training will take place during mid-term breaks.”

The teams that reach the final stage of the Challenge will be assigned a Mentor from the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise to support their work on research assignments.

“It is our hope that the complimentary study tour with ABP and the professional media training in communication and presentation skills can take place face-to-face in 2022. An overall winning team will win £1,000 for their club or school. The programme will complete within one year leaving the winners free to concentrate on their Year 12 examinations.”

Entry to the ABP Angus Youth Challenge is by way of a short video submission followed by an online interview. A selection of entrants will be invited to take part in an exhibition- style event during the 2021 Halloween break. An independent panel will judge the teams and their displays to determine which go through to the finalist programme and win the prizes.

Commenting on ABP’s commitment to this initiative, the Managing Director of ABP in Northern Ireland, George Mullan said,

“The ABP Angus Youth Challenge connects with young people at an important stage of their education. We want to inspire them to work in our sector. We have seen how young people benefit from this experience and we invite more to access the opportunity it presents.”

 Castle Tower School Ballymena; Cross and Passion College Ballycastle; Ballymena Academy; Magherafelt High School and Omagh Academy will complete the finalist programme at the end of this year. Meanwhile Dalriada School Ballymoney; Cookstown High School; Friends’ School Lisburn and St Kevin’s College Lisnaskea started the finalist programme in June 2021.

The ABP Angus Youth Challenge is open to teams of 2-4 individuals from schools, clubs, societies or a group of friends. Entrants do not have to live on a farm or be part of a farming family to take part. ABP will assist finalists in the provision of a suitable farm.

Closing date for receipt of entries is noon, 4th October 2021.

 For competition queries contact Gillian Allen at ABP gillian.allen@abpbeef.com or the Northern Ireland Angus Producer Group at info@angusproducergroup.com

The class of 2019 who completed the ABP Angus Youth Challenge earlier this year.