Attraction and Retention Strategies for the Meat Retailing Industry

The InternationalExperienceVisit 1: Olds CollegeLocation: Olds, Alberta, CanadaOlds College is a specialist agricultural college in the town of Olds in Alberta, Canada. It is the largestof its kind in Canada and offers courses in everything from meat cutting, boning and slaughtering torodeo riding, and a farrier’s course.It is the only college in Canada and the USA that offers a ‘Gate to Plate’ Meat Processing Certificate thatcovers all aspects of slaughtering, boning, grading and cutting, as well as smallgoods manufacturingcustomer service and merchandising. The Meat Processing department is managed by Brad McLeod,a very well respected and well-credentialed meat trainer, very highly skilled in all aspects of this program.Students travel from all parts of Canada to attend this course as it offers them an excellent chance ofgaining employment in a range of sectors within the meat industry. This is a full-time course that runsfor 15 weeks and starts in either February or September at a cost of C$5,000 for the student with nogovernment assistance.Meat processing classroom, Olds CollegeVisit 2: Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)Location: Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaNAIT is a culinary college in Edmonton and delivers a specialist meat cutters course for people lookingto find work in the meat retail industry.The meat cutters course is a full-time, five-month course specifically aimed at developing participant’sskills in line with the skill set required by the supermarket sector in Canada. The course costs participantsC$2,500 and the Canadian government funds the college C$2,500 for each registered student.1213