Enter ABP Angus Youth Challenge now

One of Northern Ireland’s leading employers in the agri-food sector is inviting 14-15 year olds from the north coast to take part in a new version of the ABP Angus Youth Challenge, its agri-skills competition for teenagers.
Previous finalists in the ABP Angus Youth Challenge departing for Birmingham in 2019 for a study tour with ABP and the Northern Irish Angus Producer GroupPrevious finalists in the ABP Angus Youth Challenge departing for Birmingham in 2019 for a study tour with ABP and the Northern Irish Angus Producer Group
Previous finalists in the ABP Angus Youth Challenge departing for Birmingham in 2019 for a study tour with ABP and the Northern Irish Angus Producer Group

Local schools have had great success in the competition in previous years with more schools from County Antrim than any other county reaching the final.

Currently participating in the finalist programme from Co. Antrim are Cross and Passion College Ballycastle and Dalriada School Ballymoney.

The format has been updated for the start of the new academic school year to ensure ease of supervision by teachers and ease of participation alongside GCSE studies. The competition offers the chance to win great prizes – including a mini-herd of Angus cross calves to rear worth around £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.

“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.”

The ABP Angus Youth Challenge is open to teams of 2-4 individuals from schools, clubs, societies or a group of friends. Closing date is September 27.