Meat Training Council Consultative Board – Oct 2008

A Saxby in Chair

Attendees: W Jermey, F Mallion, A Stevenson, I Anderson, R Stevenson, rep of NIMEA, R Griffiths, A Langlois, J Small.

The meeting first considered the findings and report of consultant A Langlois of Orginsations Development Ltd (ODL) on the Master Butcher Award. This is a new award that MTC considers a useful addition to the qualifications that it offers.

The Master Butcher Award will be made only as a result of satisfying a “Master Butcher Moderator” that four key requirements have been met. The judgement of the moderator will be made on the basis of satisfying of L2 indicators (in a system similar to that used for Investors in People Assessment). The moderator will require appropriate evidence that each indicator has been satisfied.

In some cases achievement of an appropriate qualification or validation of appropriate experience will be sufficient to satisfy an indicator.

In other cases professional discussion and site observation will be needed to back up primary evidence of an indicator having been satisfied. In other words, a candidate must be able to “tick all the boxes” to show that al indicators have been satisfied.

The award will be based on the achievement of four requirements:

a) Very broad knowledge of butchery.
b) Practical experience and knowledge of commercial, management and retail sales processes.
b) Food hygiene and safety including qualifications.
c) Overall competence; integrity and attitudes.

A decision on the Master Butcher Award will be taken at the next Meat Training Council Board meeting on 22nd October. This will include a commitment to fund all the development.

DS opinion on Master Butcher Award (MBA).
There is no doubt that MTC have identified potential to return to a respected title of Master Butcher after previously been misrepresented by Dewhurst.

The MBA acceptance is possibly more important that the award as such, the value of certification is doubtful given that owners probably already consider themselves Master Butchers and they do not require a certificate to justify this. After all both in Republic of Ireland and in Scotland we use the term Craft Butcher with no clear cut criteria to be called such.

Bill Jeremy reported on MTC developments since the last Consultative Board meeting in July. The financial year had ended with them exceeding targets.

Improve had offered to buy the awarding body but this was turned down by the MTC Board. BJ said that the offer had been rejected on “commercial grounds”.

BJ reported that Ian Sugarman had joined MTC on 1st October. His former job was as lead external verifier with City and Guilds.

MTC have decided not to appoint a Chief Executive. David Grailey left 21 months ago and BJ had stepped in interim. Now Angela Long will take over control with staff including Ian Sugarman, Nikki Taylor, Holly Taylor (no relation) and two part time “salesmen” on the road with Jo Small and Bill Jeremy in a part time capacity.

BJ reported that as a member of the Improve board he had attended its meeting in the morning of this meeting and also the pre-board – members only – dinner the previous evening. He said that the non-executive board members wanted Improve to be industry facing but so far it had to be Government facing, obedient and doing all the right things. The board members were in agreement that so far Improve had been “a complete waste of time”. Government funding had ceased and Improve re-licensing meaning they would be Government facing for the next six months. Mike Powell had been appointed Operations Director. It was noted that MTC is the only NTO still in existence following the introduction of Sector Skills Councils.

Richard Griffiths announced the poultry sector were working in conjunction with LANTRA (the land based and agricultural sector skills council) to set minimum standards for poultry production and it would be likely that the next step would be to extend that into poultry meat processing. MTC expressed a wish to be given the opportunity to be involved if this happened. MTC gave the impression that they had issues with Poultec. AS said that Scottish Pig Industry was taking similar moves.

NFMFT representative Richard Stevenson highlighted their recently launched website “Be a Butcher dot com”, they have been averaging ten visitors per day and received “a couple of dozen” enquiries that had led to work experience being arranged at local butchers.

DS note: this is something we need to develop too.

It was reported that Improve were pushing on with 14-19 yr old Diplomas. As the leading manufacturing sector in the UK Improve were charged with taking this Government initiative forward with former FSA Board member Chrissie Dunn leading. The idea received a lukewarm reception from the meeting.

Scotland, DS reported that funding was still tight with age restrictions 16-19 yr olds and limited number of new start places from Skills Development Scotland, he reported that SMT had already claimed 75% of its contract value although only 50% of the way through the contract year. AS reported that Angela Long with liaising with Andy McGowan on the Scottish funding case.

DS reported that the Level 2 Modern Apprenticeship in Scotland had failed to get accreditation on its first submission to MAG. Improve is instrumental in taking this back and after re-visiting the L2 MA content with industry was going back to MAG.

DS reported that following the dissolution of MTC's partnership with SQA, SQA had formed a partnership with SFMTA to form an awarding body in Scotland. DS stated that with immediate effect all SMT registrations would be going through this awarding body.

BJ said that he knew this had been in the pipeline and that he very much regretted that this had come about, he blamed the dissolution on David Grailey who he said at this time had been under pressure to cut costs. No further questions were asked or comment offered.

MTC Prize-giving day will be 24th February 2009 and the next MTC Consultative Board Meeting will be 5th March 2009.

After the meeting DS asked BJ to communicate how they now view SFMTA's involvement with this Board. He replied that he would be in touch.

Meeting closed at 3.30pm.