A leg of lamb, a fillet of beef or veal cutlets? While we owe our choice of meat cuts to the skills of a butcher, most would tell you that that these days cutting, boning and slicing are only part of the job. Butchers are equally dedicated to reducing customers' preparation time, by 'value adding' to our meats.

It's true most of the 1,480 butchers working in Western Australia are male, but according to local employers, more females are securing apprenticeship places and excelling in the field.

Almost three quarters of butchers are employed in the Perth metropolitan area, followed by 8% in the South West region, and 3% in each of the Peel and Central Midwest regions. Small numbers work in the remaining regions.

The number of people who commence the General Butcher apprenticeship varies from year to year. In 2005, 142 people enrolled in the Meat Processing (Meat Retailing) course, which is the General Butcher apprenticeship qualification.

When we experience the pleasure of sitting down to a roast dinner, most of us acknowledge the skills of the cook. We should also spare a thought for the butcher who carefully selected and cut the prime section of lamb or beef. More often than not these days he/she also added a mix of herbs and spices.

Most of the butchers employed in Western Australia work in retail outlets. They are trained in selecting, cutting, trimming, preparing and then displaying meat for sale. Retail butchers order their carcasses from a meat wholesaler or abattoir, where butchers are also employed.


An Early Start

The day begins at around 6am for a butcher and, according to Mondo Di Carne Continental Butcher proprietor Vince Garreffa. His apprentice starts by dressing the shop window with various cuts of meat.

''Then he'll look at the day's orders for both raw and prepared (value added) meats. These days, instead of the customer taking home a lump of meat for $10, many are prepared to pay $12 and have it prepared for them,'' says Vince.

Value adding (partially or fully preparing meat) has become a significant and creative part of butcher's role. Busy people are delighted not to have to prepare their own kebabs, or stuff their rolled beef, or marinate their veal. These days, butchers even provide customers with meat that has been partially or fully cooked.

''It's a good thing to become a butcher nowadays. It's exciting and the level of training that apprentices receive is outstanding,'' says Vince.

Butchers, who are employed in retail outlets, have lots of customer contact.

''I love the people that I meet. They always seem to be happy, because they're excited about having a dinner party or having a nice roast. It's a very relaxing work environment, there are always jokes flying about among butchers,'' says Vince.



Making Decisions

Fourth-year General Butcher apprentice Simon Heath, who works in Northam, says he became a butcher because of his interest in food preparation and his decision not to go on to university.

''I'm learning new things all the time, and it's creative because there are many different ways to cut meat.''

Simon, who has scooped numerous awards, can look forward to reducing his apprenticeship from four to three-and-a-half years because of his outstanding effort.

He recommends that people considering this occupation have excellent hand-eye coordination, be willing to do routine tasks and have good customer skills.


Safety First

Because their main tools of trade include knives, meat cleavers, the mincing machine and the slicer, a butcher's work environment can be hazardous. The work floor can often be slippery. And, because meat needs to be stored in extremely cold conditions, the working environment can be chilly.

Employment prospects, particularly in specialist retail outlets, remain high according to employers and industry representatives. An ageing workforce, a national skills shortage, low numbers in training and high job turnover have contributed to a positive employment outlook despite indications that the industry nation-wide is generally in decline.

Qualified apprentices can earn about $30,000 which may go as high as $36,500 for more experienced butchers. For those in a management role, salaries can reach $60,000 per annum.

To become a qualified butcher you must complete a General Butcher apprenticeship. For further information on obtaining an apprenticeship, contact the Australian Apprenticeships Hotline on 13 38 73 (local call cost).

The off-the-job training is only available through Swan TAFE (Bentley Campus). Check out the TAFE and NTIS sites listed below for further information.

As of October 2006, the 4-year apprenticeship has been reduced to 3 years as part of a government strategy to address skills shortages.

Traineeships in meat processing, which could also lead on to the apprenticeship, are also available. For further information, contact the Australian Apprenticeships Hotline on 13 38 73 (local call cost).

	Other Training Providers
	National Training Information Service website.
	TAFE Colleges
	Homepage links and contact details for all TAFE Colleges in WA.
	TAFE Handbook
	An online guide to full-time TAFE courses available throughout WA.

Western Australian Food and Beverage Industry Training Council
PO Box 1224 Booragoon WA 6954 Ph (08) 9312 2666 Email: leoni.ellement@wafitc.asn.au URL: www.wafitc.asn.au

National Meat Association (WA)
Unit 4-170 Burswood Road Victoria Park WA 6010 Ph (08) 9470 1577

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Simon Heath's enthusiasm for his job as a butcher is so great that it is even influencing his future plans for overseas travel.

''One day I'd like to go to Europe because they make some of the best small goods, including sausages, in the world. The sausages are traditional and they're hand made,'' says Simon, a fourth-year General Butcher apprentice who works in Northam.

While many people may consider that a butcher's job is routine and short on challenges, Simon says this is far from the truth.

''Before I started in this job, I'd never really had much to do with meat. I'd certainly never seen a body of beef killed and hung and I had no idea that there were so many different ways to cut meat. I learn something new and interesting every day.''

When Simon arrives at work, he starts cutting the various meats, mincing, displaying the produce, and then preparing value-added meats such as satay sticks.

Since starting in the occupation, Simon has noticed that people have become a lot more conscious about their health and this is affecting their meat choices.

''Meats have become a lot leaner as people try to reduce their fat intake. People are also reducing their overall food intake and they often now ask for smaller portions. Value-added meats are also really popular and I think this trend is set to continue because busy working people have less and less time for elaborate food preparation.''

Simon says being a butcher allows him to be creative, and he has no complaints about working in a chilly environment.

''Northam gets really hot in summer, but because the meat has to be stored at near freezing temperatures, it means that it's always nice and cool at work.''

Simon put all he learned in his trade on display and walked away with the Bentley Campus of TAFE, Apprentice of the Year award.

''It was pretty special. It showed that I was the best among the other 1,000 apprentice chefs, bakers and pastry cooks. As well as the written exam, there was the practical component. We had to do boning, slicing, sausage making and pickling. But, to be honest, I wasn't thinking about winning, just doing my best.''

Simon highly commends the apprenticeship. Not surprisingly, his own has been reduced by six months because of his hard work and excellent progress.