Two new projects are now underway to review and update national skills standards for the meat processing industry.
If you have experience in meat rendering processes and techniques and/or working with meat slicing equipment, your input is invited on these projects. The skills standards for job roles in these sectors are being revised to reflect new technology, equipment, techniques and terminology.
Meat Slicing Project
A competent and reliable butcher has superb knife skills and will operate meat slicing equipment with a high degree of expertise and safety. However many people use slicing equipment across the industry and this project is looking at the specific skills to slice meat across various sectors, including butchery, small goods and retail. The current unit of competency to describe the skills standards for this work is specific to the smallgoods sector only.
Subject matter experts are currently being engaged to revise and update the unit, so that it can be made appropriate for broader use across the meat industry. The draft unit will be available for feedback on the project webpage in April 2021. You will be alerted through this newsletter when it is available for comment.
Meat Rendering Project
Meat rendering techniques promote sustainability and reduce food waste by reusing and repurposing animal by-products. The skills to transform these by-products into goods for human and animal consumption, fertiliser and other uses are being reviewed as part of this project.
A group of industry experts are currently being engaged to revise the national qualification and units of competency. The drafts will then become available for feedback on the project webpage in April 2021. You will be alerted through this newsletter when the drafts are available for comment.