Apprentice Meat Cutter

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An Apprentice Meat Cutter is responsible for preparing standard cuts of meat, including beef, poultry, pork and fish, to be sold in either a self-serve or specialty counter. You will gain experience in retail and merchandising, using the tools of the industry, and identifying different cuts and types of beef, poultry, pork, fish, and game during the season.

A Butcher Shop & Deli on campus provides students with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience.

Successful completion of your hours makes you eligible to apply for graduation to receive your certificate of competency.

Requirements

Must be 17.5 years old to enroll and 18 years old to work in industry.

Information Session Attendance

Trades Info Sessions | Mondays (3 to 4 p.m.) and Thursdays (9:30 to 10:30 a.m.) | Central City Campus, 1245 E. Buckeye Road, Phoenix. Please note that there will be no sessions on Thursday, Feb. 28 and March 14.

Careers

You may look forward to careers as a retail meat cutter, retail meat wrapper, wholesale meat cutter, or a meat and deli counterperson. You may work for food manufacturers, grocery stores, specialty butchers or the foodservice industry.

You also may take advantage of career services to gain skills in interviewing, resume writing, looking for a job and other career guidance. Through these services you will be better prepared to complete successful interviews and attain employment.

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Clock Hour Program

Clock-based certificates are training programs that provide skills for quick entry into the workforce. The clock-hour programs have specific year-round start dates.

Program Locations

Central City Campus

Program Cost

Certificate of Competency - Apprentice Meat Cutting: $4,699*

Median Salary

Visit O*NET OnLine for median salary.

Additional Information

Apprentice Meat Cutting

Certificate #1720

You will explore proper safety and maintenance of hand tools and all power equipment used in the meat cutting industry, including a variety of knives, meat saws, meat grinders, meat tenderizers and meat slicers. You will identify, cut, wrap, weigh and display all retail cuts of meat for sale in a retail environment. You will maintain and merchandise a retail meat case and manage inventory. During your program, you will also gain experience filling customer orders. In addition, you will break down and process a variety of meats like elk, deer, antelope and javelina, whole cattle, hogs and lamb. All tasks are performed while maintaining industry safety and sanitation standards.

Program	Number	Completion Time*	Program Costs*
Apprentice Meat Cutting	1720	804 hr \| 10 mo	$4,699

Start Dates

*Months based on 24 hours a week/4 weeks a month. Actual completion times may vary. Costs include tuition, lab and estimated book fees. Amount based on current estimates and will vary. A separate $15 Registration Fee will be charged per academic year.

**For information about careers in your area of study, visit O*NET OnLine for detailed job descriptions, education requirements, as well as wage and employment trend information.