If you’re a Wisconsin meat processor, you have a lot of opportunities coming your way in 2023 between staff certification, training, and employee recruitment. Partnerships between the state, industry, and schools and colleges have led to several programs to be aware of in 2023.
The next HACCP training is March 1-2, and it comes with a tuition reimbursement opportunity. The Wisconsin Meat Processing School is March 21-22. The new Humane Handling Institute hopes to launch in late spring courtesy of UW-River Falls. And another crown jewel for the industry – a high school meat science curriculum coming soon also from UWRF.
Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection Secretary Randy Romanski shares more about these upcoming programs:
UW-Madison is hosting a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points training March 1-2 at the Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery building. DATCP will be providing tuition reimbursement for participants that reside in Wisconsin through the Meat Talent Development Program.
A first of its kind program, the Humane Handling Institute, will provide comprehensive hands-on training for current meat industry workers in humane pre-slaughter handling, transport, stunning, and equipment maintenance. DATCP and UW-River Falls say HHI is expected to help improve the long-term viability of Wisconsin’s $34 billion livestock and meat industries. The project is funded by the Meat Talent Development Program.
The objective of the HHI is to develop humane handlers, stunner operators, and maintenance personnel that have a deeper understanding of the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of humane handling, stunning, and slaughter, according to UW-River Falls Prof. and HHI Director Kurt Vogel.
“Since 2014, the UW-River Falls Animal Welfare Lab has tracked humane handling enforcement actions by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and consistently identified pre-slaughter stunning as a critical area of need for additional training and development,” he explains. “Effective stunning is important for animal and worker welfare and there are additional downstream benefits to efficiency of production and meat product quality that add support to a well-justified cause.”
HHI is likely to be held in late spring 2023. Tuition reimbursement will be offered to 120 trainees from small slaughter establishments across the state for the two workshops that address critical regulatory challenges for these plants, but any current or aspiring staff may enroll in any of the five workshops.
Meanwhile, UW-River Falls is developing a high school meat science curriculum to create awareness of opportunities in and attract students to careers in the meat industry.
The project is also funded by the Meat Talent Development Program. The 11 high schools piloting the program in January are Hillsboro, North Crawford, Preble, Jefferson, Green Bay Southwest, Westfield, Lincoln Jr./ Sr., Blair/Taylor, Arcadia, Colfax, and Riverdale. The program is expected to be offered statewide in March.
“For many of us, this is a project that has substantial meaning because we found our ways to our current careers through meat industry-related opportunities and experiences,” says project director Vogel. “It is an honor and a privilege to help provide that spark for the next generation.”
Justin Corman is the general manager of Wilson Farm Meats in Elkhorn. He tells Mid-West Farm Report he’s looking forward to the high school meat science curriculum to be offered statewide this spring to boost the next generation of workers.
Wilson Farm Meats could double the amount of staff they have and they still wouldn’t be able to keep up with demand. UW-River Falls will begin piloting a meat processing program for high schools in January. Looking ahead, Wilson Farm Meats received the latest expansion grant from the state. Corman says as soon as the contract is released, they’ll purchase more processing equipment and grow the cooler space.
Leave a Reply