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New Wisconsin website steers future meat processors

Wisconsin’s agriculture department has teamed up with educators to guide potential new meat processors to the right training.  Secretary Randy Romanski with the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection tells Brownfield the Meat Pathways website is now available. “It’s meatpathways.wi.gov for those who want to take a look at it, and it’s an important part of the Meat Talent Development Program.”

Romanski says the Meat Talent Development Program was set up with five million dollars from the American Rescue Act to help prepare the next generation of meat processors by helping them find the right training options, “whether that’s at the technical college system or at the campuses in Wisconsin that were fortunate to have, UW Madison, Platteville, UW River Falls, that have programs that could lead to it, but it’s a way for people to kind of help find their next job adventure and get meaningful employment in a crucial Wisconsin industry.”

Romanski says the department plans to build on the new website, eventually adding to the training options with information about potential meat-related jobs. “That could be anywhere from animal welfare to meat processing to food safety. When people look at the industry, they might only think of or see one thing when in reality, this website gives you the whole gamut of what opportunities might be out there so I encourage people to take a look at it.”

The new Meat Pathways website shows nine different career paths and links to the education for each path.  There’s a link to the Meat Pathways site online at Brownfield Ag News.