Provincial government will invest more than $375,00 to launch a work-study program in Retail Butchery
by Sonia Ruivo
Students wishing to enroll in the Retail Butchery program will now be remunerated after the provincial government announced it’s investing over $375,000 to support a work-study program.
The announcement was made on June 8, during a press conference held at PACC Vocational Training. Representatives from the centre and the Association des détaillants en alimentation du Québec (ADAQ) were on hand to announce the new program.
As part of the ATE program, each student enrolled in the Retail Butchery program will be remunerated throughout his or her training, thanks to financial assistance paid to industry partners hosting them. Approximately 60% of training will take place at the vocational center, while the remaining 40% will take place in the workplace. This approach will contribute to the training and recruitment of a skilled workforce, meeting a significant demand.
The program was created to address the labour shortage in butchery. There are many unfilled jobs in industry. These jobs are well-remunerated and can be found in some of the country’s top food retailers: Costco, Sobey’s, Metro, and others.
“We are delighted to launch this program at PACC Vocational Training. As the only center in the province to offer this program in English, we know that many students from all over the province will benefit from this program. Funding is also available for out-of-town students who wish to participate and need to relocate – it’s a great way for us to help address labour shortages in all regions of the province. The ATE program is a proven formula and we’re delighted to be able to implement it, especially since PACC Vocational Training is the only vocational school to offer the Retail Butchery program in English,” says Maggie Soldano, Director of Continuing Education at the Lester B. Pearson School Board.
The press conference was followed by a tour of the state-of-the-arts Retail Butchery lab.
Registrations are now open, and training will begin on September 6, with a maximum of 22 students per cohort. To register or obtain further information on the program visit https://www.lbpce.ca/butchery.html or contact the center at 514-363-6213.
