Finding capable and willing labor is a serious challenge for all meat processors, regardless of size. Small plants often require a higher average skill level than large plants but cannot afford to pay a high wage through the employee-training period. While we do not know of any great solutions to this issue, we can offer some ideas and programs that have worked reasonably well for other small plants.
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Management and Workplace Culture
Retaining employees is just as important, if not more so, than hiring new ones. National studies consistently show that employees quit jobs more often because of workplace culture and relations with other employees, particularly managers or supervisors, than because of the difficulty of the work. What are personal interactions like around your plant? Between employees? Between you or other supervisors and employees? If you are not sure, or think they could be better, you are not alone. This is part of what “management” is all about.
Because this is such an important issue, we highly recommend that you take a class on management at your local community college. These classes can help you understand your management style and how to become a more effective manager, covering specific topics such as time allocation, interviewing, performance reviews, and how to handle workplace conflicts. Classes are offered as open enrollment throughout the year or can be customized to meet your business and scheduling needs. Check your local phone book to find a community college near you.
When considering employee compensation, one should consider more than just hourly wage. Some plants offer other financial benefits, such as insurance and paid breaks, and one plant lets employees work extra hours if they need the cash, even if business is slow. Many plants offer benefits in addition to salary to show their employees how much they are appreciated. Some examples include free hot lunches a few days a week or every day, free or reduced price meat products, company picnics, and paying for job training.
Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
As many plant owners will tell you and agency representatives will admit, simply posting a small meat plant job through your state's Workforce Development office will probably not be as effective as you’d like. However, state workforce development agencies administer a federal program that might be of particular interest to you as a manufacturer/processor. The Workforce Investment Act was passed to “retrain” workers displaced due to international trade. The program subsidizes on-the-job training by paying up to 50 percent of the starting wage for up to 6 months. (This means that you could start someone at $11+/hr. instead of $7.50/hr while you train them.) To access this program, you will need to contact a “Workforce Investment Act Service Provider” and specifically request to post a job through this program. Every state is divided into several Workforce Investment Act Service Provider regions, each of which has its own funding from which to run this program, but the funds don’t always make it through the end of the year. Find out which region your in and contact the regional office directly.
Vocational Meat-Cutting Schools
To our knowledge, only four vocational meat-cutting programs exist in the United States: one in Oklahoma, one in Pennsylvania, and two in Ohio. All four programs focus on high school students; however the Western Technology Center in Oklahoma, the Steel Center Area Vo-Tech School in Pennsylvania, and the Pioneer Career Training Center accept adult students. The Pioneer Career Training Center teaches slaughter as well as processing skills. The Steel Center Area Vo-Tech School doesn't cover slaughter, but fully covers processing. All will accept job postings at any time.
Oklahoma
Western Technology Center
Meat Processing & Marketing Program
P.O. Box 1469
Burns Flat, OK 73624
Contact: Dennis McRee
(580) 562-3181, ex. 2232
dmcree@wtc.tec.ok.us
wtc.tec.ok.us
Ohio - Shelby
Pioneer Career Training Center
Meat Processing Program
27 Ryan Rd.
Shelby, OH 44875
Contact: Bill Kucic
(419) 347-7744 x.1269
kucic.bill@pctc.k12.oh.us
pctc.k12.oh.us/meat.html
Ohio - New Philadelphia
Buckeye Career Center
Food Processing/Meat Cutting Program
545 University Dr. NE
New Philadelphia, OH 44663
Contact: Scott Ripley
(800) 227-1665
sripley@bjvs.k12.oh.us
Pennsylvania
Steel Center Area Vo-Tech School
Meat Cutting Technology
565 Lewis Run Road
Jefferson Hills, PA 15025
Contact: William Bair
(412) 469-3200 x.107
Fax (412) 469-3209
There is another very good program at Olds College in Alberta, Canada which includes training in slaughter. This program lasts 5 months, is offered twice a year, and costs about $10,000 with room and board.
Alberta, Canada
Meat Processing Program
Olds College
4500 – 50th Street.
Olds, Alberta, Canada T4H 1R6
Contact: Brad Mcleod
(403) 556-4792
bmcleod@oldscollege.ca
oldscollege.ab.ca/programs/MeatProcessing/index.htm
All of these programs are seeking to increase their enrollment numbers. Those in Oklahoma and Canada have 10-15 job opportunities for every student that graduates.
You might consider finding someone young who is interested in learning from one of these programs and send him or her under a written "indentureship agreement." The agreement would stipulate that she or he would agree to work for you for a minimum number of years after completing training in exchange for your paying for the education. Such an employee would be required to reimburse you for the costs if they dropped out or failed to work for you for the specified minimum amount of time.
