DOYLESTOWN, PA. — Mountaire Farms Inc. partnered with Delaware Valley University (DelVal) to fund a new Poultry Science Center located at the university’s main campus in Doylestown, Pa. The center will offer a space to train incoming poultry professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to successfully join the industry’s workforce.

“We are excited about the opportunity to work directly with Delaware Valley University to ensure that the poultry industry will have a well-educated and trained workforce moving forward,” said Phillip Plylar, president of Mountaire Farms.

As a more than $40 billion industry, the US poultry segment is the world’s largest producer and second-largest exporter of poultry products. In the next five years, the industry is expected to grow, with employer demand exceeding the number of available graduates, DelVal noted.

The university said that despite industry growth, the number of academic poultry science programs has declined. The United States currently has six stand-alone poultry science departments.

DelVal’s Poultry Science Center will provide practical, hands-on experience through the university’s experiential learning program, Experience360. Animal science students will work directly with animals beginning in their first year at DelVal.

“We will be launching a new minor in poultry science focused on preparing students with the management and practical skills needed for success in this growing industry,” said Broc Sandelin, dean of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. “The new state-of-the-art facility will provide the opportunity for hands-on education in all stages of poultry production as well as providing space for industry driven research projects and potential testing of new poultry products and equipment coming to the market.”