Butcher

Butchery is one of the oldest professions in the world where innovation meets tradition.

A Plumpton College butchery apprenticeship will equip the apprentice with all the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in an increasingly popular, in-demand and growing sector which relies on people skills which cannot be replaced with automation.

Apprentices will acquire the skills and knowledge to practice the art of butchery at the highest level, learning to cut, prepare, and make modern meat products as required by their employer. There are many different career paths available with apprentices selecting one of three pathways based on their job role;

• Retail
• Instore
• Processing Butchery.  

What apprentices will learn

• Knife skills - including cutting, boning, trimming and mincing of meat
• Health and safety practices, food safety and hygiene and key legislation
• Using butchery tools and machinery – including mincing, sausage making, bacon curing, vacuum packing
• Business profitability, yield controls, maximising productivity, efficiency and customer care
• Team work and customer care skills
• Specialist retail shop or processing plant butchery skills
• For more information on the skills, knowledge and behaviours associated and learnt on this apprenticeship, please download the file attached to this link: Butcher Level 2

Qualifications Awarded

• Apprenticeship Certificate
• Level 2 award in food safety
• Level 2 award in health and safety
• Level 2 award in knife skills
• Level 1 in maths and English (if applicable)

Delivery model

A blended learning experience with attendance at our butchery training centre located next to our college farm, Lambert Farm on our main campus approximately every fortnight (during term time only), live online theoretical teaching learning and quarterly workplace competency and efficiency observation and assessments.

End Point Assessment

• Multiple choice test
• Practical skills assessment
• Vocational competence discussion

Apprenticeship Graded

• Fail, Pass, Pass with Excellence

The entry requirements for all Level 2 programmes, will require either: 

• GCSE H or above in English (either Literature or Language) and Maths
• GCSE 1 or above in English (either Literature or Language) and Maths
• Entry 3 Functional Skills English and Maths (or equivalent qualification) at this level or Level 1 or 2.

Should you not meet the entry requirements for English and Maths, please get in contact with us. We are aware that there are many factors that may have affected your previous education and grades, so will consider these in support of the application on an individual basis.

In addition to your prior English and Maths qualifications, you will complete an initial assessment for English and Maths as part of your pre-boarding session in college. This assessment will give us a current working level grade and will indicate which level Functional Skills you will be enrolled on if you have not got a GCSE 4/C or above in English and Maths. We may contact you to discuss this grade if we have any concerns.

If you have a grade 4/C or above in GCSE English and/or Maths, you will not be required to attend Functional Skills English and/or Maths sessions as part of your Apprenticeship.

Please note: You will be required to produce your GCSE certificates BEFORE you start your course to be exempt from attending Functional Skills English and Maths sessions.

To enrol onto an apprenticeship programme you need to be employed with a contract of employment. If you have an employer lined up or are already employed please contact our Business Services team on 01273 892127 or via email.

You must be in a role that will allow you the opportunity to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and behaviours set out in the apprenticeship. Additionally, apprentices must have a working level of maths and English that will allow successful achievement of level 1 functional skill prior to the end point assessment.

If you do not currently have an employer please visit the main Apprenticeships page for guidance on how to find and apply for an apprenticeship opportunity or register for our Talent Bank service.

If you are an employer and would like to recruit or enrol an existing employee onto an apprenticeship please contact our Business Services team on  01273 892127 or via email.