Foodstuffs Butcher

Qualification: Foodstuffs' Butchers Apprenticeship Programme (National Certificate [Level 4] in Meat Retailing).

Where: Three years on-the-job training in New World and Pak'n Save supermarkets.

Contact: Hugh Robertson, Foodstuffs, phn (09) 621 0790 or 21 312 386, email hugh.robertson@foodstuffs.co.nz.

Course costs: $1075 + GST a year. In most cases the cost is absorbed by the stores. There are two sign-up periods per year, but the sign-ups are ongoing.

Prerequisites: No prerequisites required.

Starting salary: New apprentices' pay varies between supermarkets, but is no less than the minimum wage. Apprentices receive pay increases, through a performance management procedure, as they gain and apply skills. (Once qualified, butchers' hourly rates are approx $16 upwards depending on responsibilities, seniority and location.)

Working hours: Approx 40 hour week. Being a retail industry, some work outside of office hours and weekend work is required.

Career opportunities: With additional training, such as Foodstuffs' Management Development Programme, qualified butchers can take on any management role within the supermarket including, but not limited to, becoming a Butchery Manager. Alternatively they could look to gaining a role within the Support Centre such as a Butchery Apprenticeship Training Co-ordinator or at Retail Support - Butchery position supporting new and existing stores with respect to everything to do with butchery.

During the 1990s, Foodstuffs recognised that there was an increasing shortage of butchers, so decided to train its own under the apprenticeship scheme.

The Butchery Apprenticeship strategy was launched in 1995 when Foodstuffs Training and Development was given accreditation to become a PTE (private training establishment) and permission by NZQA and Retail Meat ITO (industry training organisation) to develop the qualification.

Stores in Auckland began signing up apprentices to a training agreement from about 1997. Typically candidates were already working in the stores' butchery departments.

Foodstuffs now runs the programme with Skills4Work and the Retail Meat ITO, having divested the PTE; but the original logic and business requirements remain the same.

There are currently about 100 butcher apprentices with Foodstuffs.

Sister companies Foodstuffs Wellington and Foodstuffs South Island have also embraced the programme.

The apprenticeship covers customer service, food safety, health and safety, managing yield, waste, cost and pricing calculations, breaking and boning techniques, product presentation, legislation, cooking and nutrition. Workshops take place in Auckland every six months or so and accommodation and meals are provided for apprentices from out of town. Apprentices travelling long distances can claim expenses through the Retail Meat ITO.

Foodstuffs butchers are responsible for running the butchery business within the supermarket. Daily tasks range from equipment management, department costing and pricing, breaking, boning and slicing of the various meat cuts from beef, lamb, pork and chicken carcasses. They produce trays of wrapped and labelled meat for display, source related products, manage a safe work environment and ensure food hygiene standards are maintained.

They also set up the merchandising displays retailing the meat products. Butchers also have to understand nutrition. The trade suits people who like working in a team environment, enjoy working with their hands and do not mind the physical nature of the work.

Watch the video and see one of the Foodstuffs apprentice butchers graduate.