SIXTH form pupils from schools across Northern Ireland enjoyed a day away from the classroom finding out about consumer buying habits and marketing techniques employed by the food industry.
The one-day food consumer buying seminar at Loughry Campus, College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (Cafre), in Cooks-town, provided the pupils with an opportunity to examine the changing nature of food retailing and to assess the factors which influence consumer buying behaviour using real life examples.
As well as investigating the effect of e-commerce, advertising and marketing strategies on consumer buying behaviour, the A-level home economics and Business Studies pupils got practical experience of assessing consumer perceptions of own brand and branded products and the current issues surrounding food labelling.
The seminar was also an ideal opportunity for the pupils to find out about the range of career opportunities in the food industry. Loughry has close links with the food and drink sector and all our food courses offer excellent job prospects. So it is no surprise that the sixth form pupils were keen to check out the degree courses on offer at Loughry.
With honours degree courses in food technology, food design and nutrition as well as the newly redeveloped food business management degree, there is certainly something to suit everyone.
Loughry is hoping an open evening on Tuesday April 8 from 3pm to 8pm.
* WELL SCHOOLED: Sixth form pupils Chloe McAlary, Chris Carson, Ellen Thompson, Niamh McCloskey and Therese Corrigan from Loreto College, Coleraine together with their Home Economics teacher Miss Kathryn Lyons and Emanuele Armaforte from Loughry take a break from the consumer buying seminar at Loughry Campus.