WorldSkills Australia Nationals – Brisbane 2010 – Meat Retailing
Tahnee had just finished the HSC and wasn’t planning to go to uni so she decided to do a trade. She liked the idea of being paid for 4 years rather than just studying.
She saw an ad for an apprenticeship advertised in the paper (she’s from the Southerland Shire, NSW). She started working there but unfortunately the boss didn’t progress her apprenticeship and treated her as just a shop assistant (perhaps because she was female). 9 months later (in September 2007) she moved employers (small business of just 3 employees – with one other 1st year apprentice).
Tahnee is so happy with the change, she is now learning everything as she’s an onsite trainee. This means that she doesn’t go to TAFE, rather assessors just come and test her at work.
She admits that there are not many girls in the trade and it does involve physical work (cutting up meat etc.) and long hours.
Tahnee does everything from making sausages to cutting up carcasses. She has to be a jack of all trades in case anyone in the shop gets sick. Tahnee says blood and guts are not an issue in the work. She says it does get messy at times but it’s not a serial killer scene (there’s not much blood by the time it gets to them).
