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Meat Talent Development

In January 2022, Governor Evers announced he is providing up to $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for meat talent development programming. This funding will be used to attract students to meat careers, provide financial support to students in Wisconsin meat processing training programs, support program development, and connect the meat processing industry with potential employees.

DATCP will work cooperatively with stakeholders and the industry to implement a program that strengthens Wisconsin's meat processing supply chain and workforce.

Meat your Future Career with Meat Pathways

Wisconsin's meat industry is made up of talented, creative individuals with a wide variety of skills and interests. While their paths may have been different, they share the common goal of producing delicious, wholesome, safe, and nutritious products.

Regardless of your interests, there is a career in the meat industry waiting for you. Meat Pathways is designed to help you identify career paths and training opportunities within the industry.

Learn more about your future career at: meatpathways.wi.gov.

Programs

Meat Industry High School Curriculum

In partnership with the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, DATCP has launched a new meat industry curriculum for Wisconsin agricultural education programs.

The curriculum spans 10 days and includes prepared course content, hands-on laboratory activities, and an opportunity for up to 100 interested agricultural educators to apply for a grant for basic, small-scale meat processing equipment.
Curriculum was prepared by Hannah Olsen, Dr. Tim Buttles, Dr. Bonnie Walters, Dr. Arquimides Reyes and Ryley Rehnelt, and Dr. Kurt Vogel from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
The curriculum includes several modules, including Intro and History of the Meat Industry, Transitioning from Muscle to Meat, Intro to Meat Processing, and Careers in the Meat Sector.

To ensure the effectiveness of the curriculum, 6-10 agricultural education programs in Wisconsin will pilot this course before releasing it state-wide in the spring.

Humane Handling Institute

On October 20, 2022, the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) and DATCP announced the formation of the Humane Handling Institute, a first of its kind program that will provide hands-on training for meat industry workers in humane pre-slaughter handling, transport, stunning, and equipment maintenance.

The program consists of a series of 2.5-day-long workshops.
Interested participants can select the workshops that meet their needs or complete the entire series of workshops and an additional project for comprehensive certification.
Trainees that complete the series and project will receive a certificate in humane handling and stunning and the limited rights to utilize the program logo in marketing and promotional materials.
Tuition reimbursement will be offered to 120 trainees from small slaughter establishments across the state for the two workshops that address critical regulatory challenges for these plants, but any current or aspiring staff may enroll in any of the five workshops.

Further information workshops will be provided on this webpage once they are available. For more information about this announcement, please contact DATCP Meat and Livestock Specialist Jeff Swenson at jeffrey.swenson@wisconsin.gov.

HACCP Training Reimbursement

DATCP is offering tuition reimbursement for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) trainings held at the University of Wisconsin - Madison Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery Center.

The Basic HACCP Short Course discusses the principles of HACCP, development of HACCP plans and programs, and implementation, including new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) FSIS regulations for meat and poultry establishments.
This program is consistent with the intent and scope of the USDA FSIS regulation.
The course satisfies the training requirement specified in the 1996 Pathogen Reduction/HACCP regulation.

Future training dates will be listed here once they are available.