A fast-tracked apprenticeship model is allowing Woolworths’ supermarkets to gain fully-trained butchers for their stores 12 months faster than the usual training time.
TAFE NSW – Hunter Institute’s Meat Trades section has been given a $50,000 Federal Government grant* under the Fast-Track Apprenticeships Program to further improve the customised training it provides for 100-plus Woolworths Supermarket Meat Apprentices each year.
Hunter Institute and Woolworths have taught Certificate III in Meat Processing (Meat Retailing) to around 400 people since 2004. Wayne McGee, Head Teacher of Meat Trades at Hunter Institute’s Hamilton Campus, said the grant would be used to reduce the overall time to complete an apprenticeship from four to three years. The Hunter Institute training component would be reduced from two years to 18 months.
Elizabeth Montebello is a Regional Human Resources Manager with Woolworths. She said the flexibility and consistent delivery Hunter Institute had provided to Woolworths had been a key benefit of their relationship.
‘Woolworths prides itself on being the leading fresh food retailer in Australia and this is achieved through many things including the setting of specific standards for what products we sell and how they are prepared,’ she said.
Q: |
Need to upskill staff within a shorter timeframe? |
|---|---|
A: |
TAFE NSW can help you access fast-track training. |
The company enlisted the support of TAFE NSW – Hunter Institute to provide Woolworths with customised classes where the curriculum and the competencies matched the Woolworths’ store environment and standards.
Sections of the Hunter Institute Meat Trades training area have been tailored specifically for Woolworths and include bandsaws, mincing machines and other equipment used in the workplace.
Former student Bryce Smith was looking for a career as a butcher when he chose an apprenticeship with Woolworths. He has been Meat Manager at the company’s Toronto store since completing his studies in February this year.
‘My apprenticeship brought me a long way to being where I am now,’ he said. ‘The quality of the training gave me a head start.’ He said the course also taught invaluable skills such as running a business and managing people.
‘Woolworths is committed to the continued development of its people and with this in mind plans to continue to join with Hunter Institute in upskilling our employees,’ Ms Montebello said.
The success of this locally-customised program has been recognised by other national supermarket chains and negotiations have occurred for similar programs to be implemented.
* This is a Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations grant given to Registered Training Organisations to develop and implement ‘Fast-Track Apprenticeships’ and help provide qualified employees to industries facing skills shortages.
