What to Know to Become a Butcher
Butchers are known as having to have a strong stomach - and not be vegetarians. Being a Butcher is a trade that involves the cutting, trimming and preparation of fresh meat for sale to businesses and consumers. Butchers don't just hack at meat; they have specific sizes and cuts that they have to adhere to when cutting up fresh carcasses.
Butchers need to take orders, assemble and use hazardous equipment, adhere to strict Food Handling Practices and advise consumers on preparation of different types of meat. Most workers are part of a union because the industry is heavily regulated and can be highly hazardous. Butchers need to be practical, have good health (physical, co-ordination and optical) and work well with others.
Meat Preparation and Processing requires an apprenticeship to be undertaken, at the end of which one would become a qualified butcher. During this apprenticeship areas covered include Retailing, Boning, Food Services, Leadership and General Principals. This is covered by the apprenticeship and recognised nationally as certificates provided by many TAFEs.
Salaries for butchers can be quite low in some areas with an average of $42-$50K per annum. If working in large businesses such as Supermarkets pay can be higher because of the relative specialisation of this work. Many butchers are paid on an hourly rate as is popular in the trade industry. Monetary issues depend highly on the employer and the amount of trade the business does.