C
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.Industry has identified the need for a unit of competency capturing the skills required to operate electric slicers, specific to the context of retail butchers, as none currently exists. 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.
The Australian Industry Skills Committee (AISC) approved this project out of the 2020 Annual Update to the
IRC Skills Forecast and Proposed Schedule of Work, submitted by Skills Impact on behalf of the Meat IRC.The Meat Industry Reference Committee (IRC) will oversee this project as part of their responsibility to support engagement with the sector, and to ensure the project meets industry stakeholder needs.Skills Impact and MINTRAC will manage this project, consistent with the
2012 Standards for Training Package Development.
Download Project Proposal (see pages 20-22) Register your interest in the project
Subscribe to the Skills Impact newsletter to keep informed about project updates and opportunities to provide input and feedback. Make sure to select ‘Meat’ as your industry of interest. |
P
Retail butchers are valued for the skill with which they prepare meat to customers’ specifications. In doing so, expertise is required to work with a range of equipment, including electric slicers, which are used to cut a range of fresh and cooked meats – such as ham, roast beef, chorizo, salami and steamed chicken breast. Skills to work safely and effectively with slicing equipment are essential in producing high quality, safe meat products and preventing workplace injury.Currently, there is no unit within in the Certificate III in Meat Processing (Retail Butcher) that covers the use of an electric slicer in a retail meat premises. Consultation will take place throughout this project to address the need for these skills to be supported within the qualification. This will involve the review of an existing unit, AMPS207 Slice product using simple machinery, which captures the skills required for meat slicing, but is specific to the smallgoods manufacturing sector.
Industry feedback will inform updates to the unit, so that it can be made appropriate for broader use across the meat industry. Consideration will also be given to contemporary skills, new technology and current terminology relevant to working with electric meat slicers across the meat industry. This will make for a more adaptable unit that can be used in the training of retail butchers. Consideration will also be given to making the unit suitable for a range of other uses, including use by other sectors of the meat industry such as poultry, and importing the unit to other training packages such as the
FBP Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Training Package.
Project Scope
This project will address the need to develop national skills standards for operating meat slicing equipment. It includes the review of the smallgoods manufacturing unit, AMPS207 Slice product using simple machinery, to see if an updated version of the unit would suit the skills needs of retail butchers.
Register your interest in the project
Subscribe to the Skills Impact newsletter to keep informed about project updates and opportunities to provide input and feedback. Make sure to select ‘Meat’ as your industry of interest. |
Relevant Occupations
- Butchers
- Retail sales people (deli)
Timeline
December 2020
Initial scoping
February 2021
Development of draft qualifications, skill sets and units
March 2021
Drafts available for broad consultation
April 2021
Validation of final drafts
May 2021
Finalisation of Training Package components
June 2021
Independent Quality Assurance, and Edit and Equity review of Training Package components
July 2021
IRC consideration for sign-off and submission for endorsement
Unit Under Review
The unit of competency AMPS207 Slice product using simple machinery is proposed for review, so that it can be updated to meet the needs of retail butchers and the meat industry more broadly. You are welcome to provide input on what changes or updates should be made to the unit so that they meet the skills needs of the industry.
Click here to view the unit on training.gov.au.The following qualifications incorporate this unit:
- AMP20116- Certificate II in Meat Processing (Food Services)
- AMP31016- Certificate III in Meat Processing (Smallgoods - Manufacture)
- AMP20216- Certificate II in Meat Processing (Smallgoods)
- AMP30916- Certificate III in Meat Processing (Smallgoods - General)
- AMP20117- Certificate II in Meat Processing (Food Services)
The following skill sets incorporate this unit:
- AMPSS00052- Produce Smoked Meat Products Skill Set
- AMPSS00049- Produce Cooked Fermented Meat Products Skill Set
- AMPSS00012- Cook and Process Meats for Meat Retail Product Range Skill Set
- AMPSS00051- Produce Dried Meat Products Skill Set
- AMPSS00053- Produce UCFM Products Skill Set
- AMPSS00050- Produce Cooked Meat Products Skill Set
Project Team
Opportunities for stakeholder input
Stakeholder input is appreciated throughout the duration of this project. The documents will be drafted in consultation with Subject Matter Experts and their networks. Opportunities to provide targeted feedback will occur when the draft materials are made available in March 2021 and again for validation of final drafts in April 2021. However, your feedback is welcomed at any time, and will help us in drafting the unit. It is important that training provides a skilled and flexible workforce for the future. The unit needs to reflect real work experience. So if you work in the sector, we would appreciate your input and help. Please feel free to register your interest for project updates and consultation opportunities by following the newsletter subscription link below. Alternatively, please feel free to contact the project manager, Don Jones on 02 9819 6699 or
[email protected].
Stakeholder Consultation Process
A list of key stakeholder organisations has been identified for this project based on their industry role, size or specialty. Skills Impact and MINTRAC will ensure contact is made with each of these organisations during the development of this project to seek their involvement and their views on the draft unit. If you are aware of an organisation that you think should be involved, please contact the project team to ensure they are contacted by us.Of course, all and any interested industry participants are encouraged to engage in the consultation of this project, when the draft unit is available for feedback via this webpage and workshops that take place around Australia. Consultation is not limited to the organisations on this list. This list simply helps us to identify those organisations that, because of their industry role, size or specialty, are likely to have a key interest in the development and outcomes of this project.
D
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. This project will consult industry to update the unit, so that it can be made appropriate for broader use across the meat industry.The unit will be revised to reflect contemporary skills, new technology and current terminology relevant to working with electric meat slicers across the meat industry. Consideration will also be given to making the unit suitable for a range of other users, including use by other sectors of the meat industry such as poultry, and importing the unit to other training packages such as the FBP Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Training Package.Subject matter experts have been engaged to review the skills outlined in the existing unit of competency for slicing product appropriate for cross sector outcomes and in addition, to see how it can be updated to reflect new technology and current terminology.
Development outcomes and next steps
Broad stakeholder consultation is scheduled to commence in April 2021 when the draft unit AMPS207 Slice product using simple machinery will be made available for comment on this webpage. Your input is welcome, please feel free to register your interest to keep informed of project updates and when the draft unit available for feedbackRegister your interest in the project
Subscribe to the Skills Impact newsletter to keep informed about project updates and opportunities to provide input and feedback. Make sure to select ‘Meat’ as your industry of interest. |
C
A high degree of knife and safety skills are required to operate meat slicing equipment, with many professionals across the industry requiring these skills. The current unit of competency to support electric slicing skills is specific to the smallgoods sector only. Consultation is taking place throughout this project to broaden this unit, so that it addresses the skills required to slice meat across various sectors, including butchery, small goods and retail. Consideration will also be given to making the unit suitable for use by other sectors of the meat industry such as poultry, and importing the unit to other training packages such as the FBP Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Training Package. Six skill sets that already contain the existing unit are also being updated, to reflect changes to the unit.The draft unit Slice product using simple machinery and six skill sets that contain this unit have been reviewed and revised in consultation with subject matter experts.Thank you to everybody that provided feedback on the draft unit and skill sets that were made available for review and feedback from 31 March – 3 May 2021.During this time, feedback was collected through the online feedback hub, phone, email and consultation webinars. The drafts, including any comments made on the feedback hub, are still available for viewing below.Feedback was invited on whether the revised unit and skill sets reflect the current skills standards and practices of industry, whether job functions are accurately described, and whether it is accurate and accessible to job roles across the sector, including retail butchers.The application and skills within the unit have been updated to address competency outcomes in meat slicing across the sector, including skills to work safely and implement work health and safety processes.Feedback will inform the work on the final drafts which will be available for industry validation in mid-May. A summary of the feedback and how it was addressed in the final drafts will also be available.
| Unit code and name | Proposed changes or rationale | Link |
| AMPS2X07 Slice product using simple machinery | Unit revised with appropriate amendments to application and competency outcomes in meat slicing for cross sector candidates, including retail butchers. | View draft unit |
The draft document can be downloaded in Microsoft Word format by
clicking here.
| Skill set code and name
| Proposed changes or rationale | Link |
| AMPSS0012 Prepare Cooked and Processed Meats Skill Set | Title, description, pathways, target group information, suggested words for statement of attainment and one unit code updated. | View draft skill set |
| AMPSS00049 Produce Cooked Fermented Meat Products Skill Set | Description, pathways, target group information, suggested words for statement of attainment and one unit code updated. | View draft skill set |
| AMPSS00050 Produce Cooked Meat Products Skill Set | Description, pathways, target group information, suggested words for statement of attainment and one unit code updated. | View draft skill set |
| AMPSS00051 Produce Dried Meat Products Skill Set | Description, pathways, target group information, suggested words for statement of attainment and one unit code updated. | View draft skill set |
| AMPSS00052 Produce Smoked Meat Products Skill Set | Description, pathways, target group information, suggested words for statement of attainment and one unit code updated. | View draft skill set |
| AMPSS00053 Produce UCFM Products Skill Set | Description, pathways, target group information, suggested words for statement of attainment and one unit code updated. | View draft skill set |
The draft document can be downloaded in Microsoft Word format by
clicking here.
The draft unit
Slice product using simple machinery has been drafted in consultation with Subject Matter Experts. They have considered feedback that was received out of Workforce Functional Analysis workshops in January, 2021. People working directly in the sector participated and provided information on the skills and knowledge required for job roles and tasks. Thank you to those who provided feedback during these activities.
Register your interest in the project
Subscribe to the Skills Impact newsletter to keep informed about project updates and opportunities to provide input and feedback. Make sure to select ‘Meat’ as your industry of interest. |
V
Many professionals involved in the meat processing industry require the skills to safely operate meat slicing equipment. Currently these skills are captured in one unit of competency, which is specific to the smallgoods sector. As part of this project, the unit
AMPS207 Slice product using simple machinery is being reviewed and updated, to make it appropriate for use across the various sectors that use these skills, including butchery, small goods and retail. In broadening the unit, consideration will also be given to making it suitable for use in other sectors, such as poultry and food processing. As a result of changes to the unit, six skill sets that contain this unit will also be updated.The draft unit
Slice product using simple machinery and six skill sets that contain this unit have now been reviewed and revised in consultation with subject matter experts and to reflect stakeholder feedback.
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the final draft unit and skill sets that were made available for validation from 14-30 May 2021. You can still view the documents and any comments made below.
Summary of feedback and key changes
The following changes were made in response to stakeholder feedback that was received as part of the ‘Drafts Available’ stage, from 31 March – 3 May 2021.The unit
AMPS2X07 Slice product using simple machinery was revised to address the need to meet cross sector training of this task in the broader meat industry, including retail butchers. The Knowledge Evidence within the unit was revised to include knowledge of contamination and other faults that create product quality risks. In addition, minor changes were made to the Performance Evidence to remove unnecessary duplication and to provide users with greater clarity on the nature, volume and frequency of skills that an individual needs to demonstrate. Stakeholder feedback suggested no further changes to the six skill sets from the draft versions that were available as part of the ‘Drafts Available’ stage.A description of how all feedback has been considered and applied in these final drafts can be downloaded below. Please click the ‘Download Summary of Feedback, Responses and Actions’ button.
Note that the skills standards for
meat rendering are being reviewed as part of a separate project that is undergoing consultation at the same time. The feedback, responses and actions for both projects are described in this document.
| Unit code and name | Proposed changes or rationale | Link |
| AMPS2X07 Slice product using simple machinery | Unit revised to address the need to meet cross sector training of this task in the broader meat industry, including retail butchers.Knowledge Evidence revised to include knowledge of contamination and other faults that create product quality risks.Minor changes have been made to the Performance Evidence to remove unnecessary duplication and to provide users with greater clarity on the nature, volume and frequency of skills that an individual needs to demonstrate. | View draft unit |
The draft document can be downloaded in Microsoft Word format by
clicking here.
Note: Once the revised unit is finalised and endorsed it will be added to the electives of the following qualifications which will result in a new release (minor update) of these qualifications:
- AMP20117 Certificate II in Meat Processing (Food Services)
- AMP31016 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Smallgoods - Manufacture)
- AMP30916 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Smallgoods - General)
Stakeholder feedback suggested no further changes to these skill sets from the draft versions that were available for feedback as part of the ‘Drafts Available’ stage, from 31 March – 3 May 2021.
| Skill set code and name
| Proposed changes or rationale | Link |
| AMPSS00012 Prepare Cooked and Processed Meats Skill Set | Title, description, pathways, target group information, suggested words for statement of attainment and one unit code updated. | View draft skill set |
| AMPSS00049 Produce Cooked Fermented Meat Products Skill Set | Description, pathways, target group information, suggested words for statement of attainment and one unit code updated. | View draft skill set |
| AMPSS00050 Produce Cooked Meat Products Skill Set | Description, pathways, target group information, suggested words for statement of attainment and one unit code updated. | View draft skill set |
| AMPSS00051 Produce Dried Meat Products Skill Set | Description, pathways, target group information, suggested words for statement of attainment and one unit code updated. | View draft skill set |
| AMPSS00052 Produce Smoked Meat Products Skill Set | Description, pathways, target group information, suggested words for statement of attainment and one unit code updated. | View draft skill set |
| AMPSS00053 Produce UCFM Products Skill Set | Description, pathways, target group information, suggested words for statement of attainment and one unit code updated. | View draft skill set |
The draft document can be downloaded in Microsoft Word format by
clicking here.
Register your interest in the project
Subscribe to the Skills Impact newsletter to keep informed about project updates and opportunities to provide input and feedback. Make sure to select ‘Meat’ as your industry of interest. |
F
The skills to safety operate meat slicing equipment are used by many professionals in the meat processing industry. The skills for this work were supported by the unit
AMPS207 Slice product using simple machinery. However the unit was specific to the smallgoods sector only. Consultation took place throughout this project to update the unit, so that it is appropriate for use across the various sectors that use these skills, including butchery, small goods and retail, as well as being suitable for suitable for use in other sectors, such as poultry and food processing. Six skill sets containing the unit also underwent review to reflect changes to the unit. The qualifications which contain the unit were updated to reflect the updated unit, but were not part of the review process for this project as they were due to undergo a full review as part of future AMP projects.The updated
Slice product using simple machinery and six skill sets were published on the national training register (
training.gov.au) within the AMP Australian Meat Processing Training Package on 28 October 2021. The application of the unit was revised to include use in a retail butchery and other cross sector work settings that use slicing equipment, in addition to use in a smallgoods manufacturing establishment. Updates were also made to the unit to include reference to safety skills and PPE, cleaning and sanitisation processes, use of manufacturers settings, and knowledge of contamination and other faults that create product quality risks. Minor changes were made to the Performance Evidence to remove unnecessary duplication and to provide users with greater clarity on the nature, volume and frequency of skills that an individual needs to demonstrate.
Summary of feedback and key changes
The unit and skill sets were drafted in consultation with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). The draft documents were then made available for broad feedback on this website as part of the 'Drafts Available' stage from 31 March – 3 May 2021 and again for validation from 14 – 31 May 2021. Feedback was collected via the Skills Impact feedback hub webinars, phone and email. A final SME online validation workshop was held to discuss and finalise queries received during the validation period.A description of how all feedback has been considered and applied at the 'Drafts Available' stage can be downloaded below. Please click the ‘Download Summary of Feedback, Responses and Actions’ button.
Note that the skills standards for
meat rendering were reviewed as part of a separate project that underwent consultation at the same time. The feedback, responses and actions for both projects are described in this document. Letters of Support from industry employers including Barossa Fine Foods, SunPork Solutions, Bindaree Food Group, Teys Australia Pty Ltd and Ingham’s were received to support the outcome of both projects.The final draft unit of competency and skills sets were approved for endorsement by the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) (
read the communique) and State and Territory Ministers after undergoing an edit and equity and independent quality assurance process and consideration by the State/Territory Training Authorities (STAs/TTAs).
A Case for Endorsement was submitted alongside the draft unit and skill sets, including a rationale of why these changes are needed and evidence of industry support.Please find below links to the final documents that are published on the national training register.
Case for EndorsementThe Case for Endorsement also includes units, skill sets and a qualification that were developed as part of the
Meat Rendering Project.
Click here to download the Case for EndorsementCompanion Volume Implementation GuideA Companion Volume Implementation Guide (CVIG) was also produced to assist industry and registered training providers (RTOs) deliver the unit and skill sets. This CVIG is in two parts. It contains key information to help trainers adapt to any new changes, as well as additional information about the impacts of regulation and licensing implications and workplace health and safety on their training.
Download Part 1: Overview and Implementation
Download Part 2: Component Details
Note: the updated unit has been added to the electives of the following qualifications, resulting in a new release (minor update) of these qualifications:
Register your interest in the project
Subscribe to the Skills Impact newsletter to keep informed about project updates and opportunities to provide input and feedback. Make sure to select ‘Meat’ as your industry of interest. |
