Lissarda graduate is among new recruits for BIM Centre

BORD Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the Irish Sea Fisheries Board, has announced the appointment of its new round of graduates to its Seafood Development Centre (SDC) in Clonakilty.  

The graduate programme is part of an ambitious drive by BIM to promote careers in the seafood sector and is being run in partnership with UCC and Letterkenny Institute of Technology.

Sorcha McSweeney (23) from Lissarda takes up the position as the SDC’s new Food Marketing Graduate. She recently completed a B Comm Degree at UCC and is currently studying part-time for a Diploma in Food Science and Technology.

The programme which is now in its 6th year, is much sought-after among those considering a career in the seafood industry as it helps graduates to improve on key competencies of business development, marketing and product development.

The three new graduates will be given invaluable, hands-on and in-depth training at the SDC which is a testing ground for new technology innovations to help businesses add value to their seafood products through shelf-life testing and packaging innovation. 

The graduates will also gain practical experience engaging directly with businesses as part of the SDC’s role working with industry in the development, research and launch of seafood products to the Irish and international markets.

Through the programme graduates are given eight months of intense training in the SDC before they go on to complete six months placement in seafood businesses. Many of the graduates who have gone through the programme have been awarded full-time jobs by their placement companies.

The seafood industry is now worth over €850m to the Irish economy. 

Dylan Doherty from Co. Donegal takes on role of Product Development Chef in the SDC while Cavan woman Catherine Ceelen from Belturbet is the SDC’s new Food Science Graduate.

BIM’s five-year strategy ‘Capturing Ireland’s Share of the Global Seafood Opportunity 2013-2017’ has clear and ambitious targets in place to achieve €1bn in seafood sales and 1,200 jobs by 2017.