The AISC has considered projects that were proposed in the Annual Update to Skills Forecast submitted earlier this year. As a result, the following projects for the meat industry have been approved, in which work will commence in the coming few months.

If you are interested in participating as a subject matter expert for any of these skills, please contact us. There will be several opportunities to feedback on these projects, and other upcoming projects, over the next six months or more, details will be shared through this newsletter and the Skills Impact website and social media channels.

Project 1: Meat Rendering

Rendering processes offer a safe and effective way to transform animal by-products into a range of valuable proteins, minerals and oils. The Meat IRC recently investigated, through research and consultation, the viability of the Certificate III in Meat Processing (Rendering) to better understand why enrolments in this qualification are declining, while enrolment in individual rendering units are higher. Direct discussions with employers organised through the Australian Renderers Association and with all 17 RTOs revealed that the qualification needs to be reviewed to ensure that changes in technology and trends in international markets are addressed. In addition, two to three skill sets may need be developed to allow for stand-alone delivery of the rendering units. One new unit of competency may also need to be developed, covering product quality checks.

Project 2: Electric Slicing Skills (Meat)

The majority of retail butchers use electric slicers to cut both fresh and cooked meats. There are specific skills and knowledge required of workers to safely and effectively use the equipment, to prevent injury and cross-contamination. Currently, there is no unit within in the Certificate III in Meat Processing (Retail Butcher) that covers the use of an electric slicer for a meat retail premises. There is a unit from the smallgoods manufacturing sector which may be suitable, titled AMPS207 Slice product using simple machinery. The unit application states the unit is for use in a smallgoods manufacturing establishment, so reviewing and updating this unit to a cross-sector meat industry unit is necessary. This would mean there would be no need to create a new unit. Instead, the updated unit could be used by retail and other sectors such as poultry, and could also be imported by other training packages such as the FBP Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Training Package.

Project 3: Pre-Rendering Meat Processing Technologies

In the rendering sector, different machines are used to reduce hard and soft tissue to a required size for processing. Sophisticated technologies and techniques are used to convert animal by-products into a range of edible and inedible products. To cover the full range of machinery used it is recommended that the term “size reduction equipment” is used. The units AMPA2158 Operate hogger and AMPA2159 Operate blow line have been identified as using language and terminology that is no longer used by industry, as well as containing redundant performance criteria that is already covered elsewhere in other units. This project would review and update these units to ensure they are current and accurately represent the skills and knowledge required of industry.

For more information, view the AISC communique