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One of Ireland's biggest distilling companies partners with DkITs Global Programme

14 March 2019

Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) in conjunction with RMIT University, Australia has today announced an exciting new partnership with world-leading distiller, The Great Northern Distillery (GND) to deliver a global marketing project to undergraduate Business & Management students as part of its award-winning Global Programme. The partnership provides students with the opportunity to work on a live project and develop market entry strategy for Irish whiskey into a number of key target Asian markets.



The Global Programme is a unique work-based learning initiative developed by the School of Business & Humanities at DkIT which aims to equip students with the job-ready skills required to become the next generation of business leaders through client observation and engagement with global companies. Participating students will have the opportunity to experience working as part of a diverse, global marketing team as they collaborate with colleagues across different time zones, geographies and cultures.

For the purposes of the programme, Great Northern Distilleries is treated as a client and the students will work as consultants to deliver the commercially-focused research brief. Students will develop insights and research that will be examined by GND with a view to supporting their entry to the Asian market.

Speaking about the news, John Teeling, Chairman of GND commented;

“We are delighted to partner with DkIT on this initiative. The growing middle class in Asia offers an exciting opportunity for Irish Whiskey. We need to learn about these markets before we enter. We look forward to the results of the study”. 

Students are assessed at various stages throughout the programme and the quality of their overall report, performance in group work, client presentation and participation in the group study tour will all contribute to their overall grade. Students are also required to complete a reflective journal which is designed to encourage students to reflect on their learnings outcomes and to think about how their future career can benefit from this global programme.

John Sisk, Director of the BA in Digital Marketing, Communication & Public Relations DkIT and lead coordinator of the Global Programme also added,

“As one of the leading distilling companies in Ireland and one of the great business success stories to arise from our region, it is an honour to partner with Great Northern Distillery this year.

The opportunity for our students to work alongside industry in real-world commercial settings is critically important for the development of job-ready skills because it allows them to apply academic learning to the professional workplace. Collaboration with colleagues in Australia means students are exposed to working in dynamic international teams – experience that is sure to give them a competitive edge as they embark on their careers upon graduating from the Institute”.

The Department of Management & Financial Studies at DkIT is no stranger to international projects, having extensive experience over almost 25 years in similar projects within the EU. The Global Programme is focused on delivering highly skilled creative graduates who contribute to the economic and social development of the region and has a demonstrable impact on the learner experience. Directors of the Global Programme John Sisk and Mario MacBlain see this as the means by which both students and business enterprise can prepare for the future marketplace on a global stage. The Global Programme plays a significant role in assisting DkIT in meeting its objective as one of the top performing Institutes in relation to attracting international learners.

To find out more about the Business and Management courses at DkIT, please visit here or if you are interested in learning more about the Global Programme, please contact:

  • John Sisk, Lecturer in Marketing, Programme Director Marketing & Programme Director Global Programme john.sisk@dkit.ie
  • Mario MacBlain  Programme Director Business & Marketing & Programme Director Global Programme  mario.macblaine@dkit.

Relevant Links:

School of Business & Humanities

BB in Business and Management 

BA (Hons) in Global Marketing

 

 

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