Final Four for 2024 Announced

Pupils from Aughnacloy College, Dromore High School, St. Colmcille’s High School, Crossgar and the Royal School Armagh are celebrating the success of becoming our 2023-2024 ABP Angus Youth Challenge Finalists. Each finalist team will receive a mini herd of Angus cross calves to rear courtesy of the beef processor ABP and the Certified Irish Angus Producer Group and then get to pocket the proceeds when they sell their finished cattle to ABP at the end of next year.

During the year-long skills development experience the finalists will research and put into practice sustainable beef production with the support of a College of Agriculture Food Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) advisor. The pupils, who are all in Yr. 11, will also benefit from travel and training opportunities to prepare them for the world of work.

Each team has been assigned sustainability projects relevant to ABP’s beef supply chain:

Dromore High School: Promoting Diversity in the beef supply chain

Aughnacloy College: Creating a vibrant farming culture for future generations

St. Colmcille’s High School, Crossgar: Informing consumers about sustainable beef production

The Royal School Armagh: Increasing the efficiency of Northern Irish beef production

 31 teams competed for a place in the final. How the final four bring their projects to life within their school and local community will be continually assessed during the coming year. At the end of the process, one overall team will win £1,000 for their school or club/society. Congratulating the pupils, George Mullan, Managing Director of ABP in Northern Ireland said,  “We are thrilled to see how this talented group of teenagers raise the profile of sustainable food production through their school and in the community. The ABP Angus Youth Challenge is an important part of our education outreach. By encouraging innovation and rewarding achievements, it is inspiring ambitious young people to considering employment in our sector. They are the future of our industry and this initiative shines a light on the great variety of roles that Northern Irish agrifood can offer them. ”

Follow their journey on Instagram and Facebook #ABPAngusYouth                                                                                                                                                                     

St. Killian's College Carnlough Win 2023 ABP Angus Youth Challenge

Three pupils from St. Killian’s College Carnlough are the overall winners of the 2023 ABP Angus Youth Challenge.  Emma Mitchell, Alex McAlister, and Peter Agnew all come from farming families. They impressed the judges with their sense of pride and responsibility in carrying on the agriculture traditions of the Glens of Antrim.

ABP Angus Youth is an employer-education partnership which enhances what is taught in the classroom by offering a ‘learning by doing’ approach in conjunction with Certified Irish Angus. The winners demonstrated real leadership by bringing a year-long assignment on ‘A Health Approach to Agriculture’ to life with the help of their CAFRE mentor Sineád Mathers. This included promoting sustainable agriculture through the establishment of an ECO Club in their school. The trio also shared useful information and advice about soil health; mental health and animal health with their wider community through participation in the “Heart of the Glens Festival.”

The pupils received their trophy and a £1,000 cheque from Managing Director of ABP in Northern Ireland, George Mullan and the General Manager of the Certified Irish Angus Producer Group, Charles Smith.

This year’s Runners-up were Down High School, Downpatrick whose theme was ‘Utilising Science to Capture Carbon’. The Outstanding Individual Achievement Award went to Orlagh Donaghy of St. Louis Grammar School, Ballymena.

Congratulating the award winners Mr Mullan said, “As a leading employer and business partner within Northern Ireland’s farming and food sector and a ‘Youth Friendly Employer,’ ABP is committed to supporting ambitious young people make the transition from education to working in our industry. We are delighted with the impact ABP Angus Youth Challenge  is having on raising aspirations and attainment.”