Retail Meat Cutters cut, trim, and package different varieties of meat, fish, and poultry for supermarkets, grocery stores, specialty stores, and wholesale food shops.
Job Related Skills, Interests and Values
- Interacting with customers in a professional manner; resolving or re-directing their inquiries or concerns to ensure satisfaction
- Setting up and safely operating scaling, pricing, lifting, and other power equipment
- Cutting beef, poultry, lamb, and pork into retail cuts; using equipment to label and package them
- Observing good sanitation practices and procedures to prevent contamination
- Acquiring a strong working knowledge of various relevant health and safety acts
- Correctly using and maintaining hand tools and accessories
- Inspecting meat/poultry products; receiving and checking shipments against invoices, noting any errors
- Handling frozen products and maintaining refrigeration controls to prevent spoilage
- Displaying and maintaining meat products; analyzing sales volumes
- Maintaining written records, including service orders; ensuring product labels are clear, concise, and meet requirements
- Completing financial transactions as required
What Preparation and Training Do You Need?
- Secondary school diploma or equivalent; credits in math, science, and English an asset
- Completion of 4,000-hour apprenticeship program, including on-the-job and in-school training
What's Your Future as a Retail Meat Cutter (245R)?
- Primarily employed in retail and food grocery business
- Indoor, 40-hour week; may be adjacent to refrigerated areas with temperatures between 4-10 degrees Celsius
- Sharp instruments like knives and saws pose risk of injury
- Employers include wholesale or retail meat shops, supermarket operations, delicatessens, and self-employment
Wage Rate
Apprentice wage increases with skill and experience. Fully qualified workers earn an average of $18.50-$27.00 per hour.
Self-Rating
Retail Meat Cutter (245R)
| Ask Yourself: | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Do you have excellent customer service skills? | ||
| Are you good at using numbers and performing calculations? | ||
| Are you able to follow Health & Safety guidelines? | ||
| Can you lift 30lbs comfortably? Are you comfortable standing or sitting for long periods of time? | ||
| Do you enjoy working with hand tools and larger kitchen equipment? | ||
| Do you have strong reading, writing, and communication skills? | ||
| Do you have excellent time-management skills? Are you an organized person? |
If you checked YES to the majority of these questions, a career as a Retail Meat Cutter (245R) may be for you!
You might want to look at these similar trades as well;
- Grocery Store Manager
- Department Manager
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- Chef
- Meat Buyer
- Instructor
- Inspector
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