MI&QA Conference provides challenges and new ideas

The well-attended MI&QA Conference, held in Brisbane on the 19-20th September, was one of the most successful MI&QA conferences to be held.

The exceptional line-up of speakers covered topics such as DAFF requirements for overseas regulations and reports; KPIs for the red meat industry; R&D investment into capability building; measuring food safety; animal welfare regulation and auditing; livestock handling; NLIS; water saving; and hand hygiene treatments. One of the most challenging presentations came from Dr John Sumner, whose thought-provoking presentation asked some very fundamental questions about the way HACCP is interpreted and used in the meat processing industry.

Breakout sessions discussed the topics of hygiene training for casual staff, Meat Inspector currency and developing a stock handling checklist.

The 100 delegates welcomed the opportunity to comment on the presentations and ask questions on the many issues and topics under discussion.

Conference sponsors included AMPC, MLA, Symbio Alliance, Response Learning, Argus Realcold, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Foss, Arrow Scientific and Kentmaster.

Conference presentations will be available on the MINTRAC website over the next couple of weeks.

Delegates listing to a presentation at the 2012 MI&QA

Conference

They Teys MI&QA team at the 2012 MI&QA

Conference

October 2012

MINTRACker Page 2

Dr John Sumner from MLA presenting hi’s presentation at the

2012 MI&QA Conference Mark Smith from Sayra presenting hi’s presentation at the

2012 MI&QA Conference

Delegates networking at morning tea at the

2012 MI&QA Conference

Jodie Mackrell from Skills Base Australia and Mick

Wickson from MISS Training at the 2012 MI&QA

Conference

Martin Craney from Symbio Alliance and

Neville Price from Department of Primary

Industries, Parks, Water and Environment

at the 2012 MI&QA Conference

Mark Smith from Coles presenting

hi’s presentation at the 2012 MI&QA

Conference

Delegates listening to a presentation at the 2012

MI&QA Conference

Page 3 October 2012

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Questions or comments? E-mail us at mintrac@mintrac.com.au or call 1800 817 462

For more information call 02 9819 6699

National Meat Retail Trainers

Conference

You are invited to register for this year’s National Meat Retail Trainers’ Conference. The conference is being hosted by North Melbourne Institute of TAFE in Epping, Victoria on 21 and 22 November 2012. The annual conference is an important professional development and networking event in the meat retail training calendar. For many RTOs, it is the only time in the year that they have the opportunity to meet with other trainers in their field. This year's conference will cover a wide range of topics including:

international trends in meat retailing – the European experience guidelines for ready-to-eat meats changes to the national butchery qualifications and LED lighting in butcher shops.

There will also be a variety of workshops including MSA online marketing and assessing and addressing customer preferences.

Melbourne, 21-22 November 2012

Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE Cnr Cooper St & Dalton Rd, Epping VIC

Registrations are open!

All prices include GST

Register now at www.mintrac.com.au

Prices

Cost

MINTRAC associate mem-

ber (delegate)

$250

General delegate

(2 Day)

$350

General delegate

(1 Day)

$175

Dinner $75

MINTRACker Page 4

Training Package Update Case for Endorsement for MTM11v3 presented to NSSC

MTM11 Version 3 was submitted to the National Skills Standards Council (NSSC) for consideration at their meeting on 24 October 2012. The submission includes fifteen new Units around the National Livestock Identification System, plus a new quality assurance Unit and a new technical operations Unit.

The new version will also include the seven new Skill Sets described in the July edition of Mintracker.

Current Continuous Improvement consultations

1. Networks consultation document

The following items are currently being discussed at MINTRAC Network meetings. If you have not had a chance to participate in these discussions and would like to comment, please contact Jenny Kroonstuiver or Alison Kirwan at MINTRAC.

CIM005: Cert II Abattoirs – cleaning using steam sanitising techniques In 2012 the draft unit CPPCLO3044A Clean using steam sanitising techniques was recommended for inclusion into MTM11 Australian Meat Industry Training Package. However, the unit was not included into the originating Training Package when it was endorsed. There does not appear to be a similar unit available. Is a unit covering this area of cleaning still required in the Training Package?

CIM044: Cert III Retail Butcher – need for a HACCP unit It has been suggested that a Level III HACCP is required as there is nothing at a high level.

CIM045: Cert IV, Dip and Adv Dip Issue raised: The QA and H&S units should not be core units in Cert IV Leadership, the Dip and the Adv Dip. There are people in the plants who could gain a lot from this qual that do not work on the processing floors.

CIM056: Units in the Animal Welfare Officer Skill Set MTMP2006B - Apply animal welfare and handling requirements

MTMP410A - Oversee humane handling of animals

It is recommended that the wording of these two units be reviewed to ensure that they are readily usable in sectors such as feedlots, transport etc 2. Meat retail continuous improvement project MINTRAC has been contracted by AgriFood Skills Australia to carry out an extensive review of the meat retail qualifications.

MINTRAC has been reviewing a variety of training programs from overseas to identify alternatives to the current qualifications in Australia. They have been looking at the way the retail industry as a whole has been changing and also looking at the similarities and points of difference amongst independent butcher shops in Australia. As well as this, they have been working with the AMIC national retail council and representatives from Coles and Woolworths to determine what changes industry needs.

Jodie Hummerston, the Project Officer assigned to this review, is currently visiting the UK, Denmark and Germany in September to learn more about their training programs.

Page 5 October 2012

Small Training Provider in food sector wins at Victoria Training Awards

The project is due for completion in November 2012, after which time recommendations for the qualification will be provided to the Meat Standing Committee. 3. Smallgoods Skill Sets for butchers MINTRAC has been funded by AMPC and AMIC to develop up to five Skill Sets to provide butchers with an opportunity to access appropriate training in the cleaning, preparation, food safety require-ments and preparation processes for the production of smallgoods products. Consultations are con-tinuing with industry at network meetings and with State Food Authorities and butchers. 4. New Certificate III Qualifications in meat processing – discussion paper In the light of a continuing decline in enrolments in the Australian Meat Industry Training Package and changes to federal and state government policies, MINTRAC has released a discussion paper, and your comments are invited. The paper asks you to consider the feasibility of creating additional Certificate III level qualifications to improve career pathways in meat processing occupations. This is the very first step in this discussion, as we are a very long way from taking any definitive steps.

If you have not received the discussion paper and would like to comment, please contact Jenny Kroonstuiver on jkroonstuiver@mintrac.com.au

Congratulations to Michael Grogan and his team at FGM Consultants in Warragul for taking out the top award for Small Training Provider of the Year at Victoria’s training awards function.

This Victorian private training provider began in 1996 and currently has 168 trainees over nine sites. The staff has extensive industry experience and Mike has been an active participant in MINTRAC, the national training and research body and other industry activities. He is also an active Victorian committee member for ACPET, the Australian Council for Private Education and Training.

MINTRACker Page 6

Professional Development Update MINTRAC is updating the training calendar for the year, gathering feedback from organisations at Network meetings across Australia. We currently have workshops under development including Internal Auditor and Animal Welfare Officer Skills Set Please check our website regularly at www.mintrac.com.au to keep an eye out as soon they become available. As well as these courses, MINTRAC can arrange plant specific training in areas you require. For

example:

Bobby calf handling

Supervisor training

Meat Hygiene Assessment

Working at heights

HACCP

For more information please contact Alison Kirwan at: akirwan@mintrac.com.au The following workshops have been scheduled for the coming months with dates still TBA. Workshop outlines and registration forms will be available on the MINTRAC website shortly. Internal Auditor

This two-day workshop will give participants the tools to perform an internal audit of the quality system under which they work and accredited training in the unit MTMPS415A Conduct an internal audit of a documented program. Upon successful completion of assessments, participants will be issued with a Statement of Attainment with the following unit of competency – MTMPS415A Conduct an internal audit of a documented program.

Bunbury, WA – late October 2012 dates TBA

Animal Welfare Officer Skills Set

Melbourne, VIC – October/November 2012 dates TBA

Online HACCP Recertification This online course run will provide an update for those who have attended HACCP in the past and wish to update and refresh their skills and knowledge with interpretation. Upon successful completion of assessment participants will be issued a Statement of Attainment from Certificate IV in Meat Processing (MTM40311) - Quality Assurance in the unit Participate in ongoing development and implementation of a HACCP and QA System (MTMPSR413A). Please visit the MINTRAC website to download the registration form.

Page 7 October 2012

TAFE Illawarra Butchery Student Wins Award at the 2012 ACT Training Excellence Awards

TAFE Illawarra recently celebrated the success of Timothy Burgess who is currently studying a Certificate III in Meat Processing (Meat Retailing) at Wollongong West Campus. Timothy received a Highly Commended Award in the ACT Australian Apprentice of the Year category at the 2012 ACT Training Excellence Awards.

“We are so proud of Tim’s fantastic achievement and especially because he received a Highly Commended Award which is rarely given out. He came so close to winning the Major Award that it was felt he should be rewarded for his outstanding efforts,” said Terry Bush, Head Teacher, Meat and Allied Trades, TAFE Illawarra.

“There were 169 nominations in total for the category of Vikings Group ACT Australian Apprentice of the Year. The fact that he was nominated is an excellent result,” added Mr Bush.

Timothy lives and works in Erindale in the ACT but studies at TAFE Illawarra’s Wollongong West Campus as part of a block release program. He is currently working at Erindale Discount Meats.

SQIT Rewards Premium Performers Trainees in Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE’s (SQIT) Certificate III and IV Meat Processing (Meat Safety) will receive more than top-quality training, with top graduates receiving an autographed copy of the industry’s meat inspection ‘bible’.

SQIT Meat Unit Teacher Glen Eckhardt said the unit was looking forward to giving out copies of Eddie Andriessen’s ‘Meat Safety Quality and Veterinary Public Health in Australia’ to diligent students.

“SQIT is excited to recognise and reward passionate trainees – positive reinforcement is something we very much believe in, and doing so will serve to improve the meat processing industry,” Mr Eckhardt said.

The first recipient of the book was Kurt Matiu, a Teys Beenleigh Meat Safety trainee who recently demonstrated a high level of commitment and application in training and workplace performance.

SQIT is the preferred registered training organisation in Meat Processing training for all Teys Australia Processing Plants in Queensland, and was a 2012 Queensland Training Awards finalist for the ‘Large Training Provider of the Year’ category.

SQIT Business Strategies Consultant Jeff Bradbury and Meat Unit Teacher Mark Rickard with Teys Beenleigh trainee and award recipient Kurt Matiu, and Training Manager Dean Tilson.

MINTRACker Page 8

WHS Kit Update

National Livestock identification System project This project will develop a set of National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) training materials for operators in meat processing plants covering every aspect of a plant’s NLIS reporting requirements from stock buying through to the upload of kill data to the national data base. The project is being driven by an increasing desire on the part of regulators and industry to achieve a higher level of compliance with NLIS requirements. A high level of NLIS compliance increases our industry’s ability to meet overseas market requirements, manage food safety through the supply chain and respond to stock disease outbreaks. The project has achieved the following outcomes to date:

the review of existing Units that cover NLIS competencies the development and accreditation of new appropriate NLIS Units the development of draft model SOP and work instructions the preparation of the draft content of the written training materials.

The next phase of this project will be the finalisation of the hard copy training materials the preparation of e-learning training materials. These training materials will be trialled in train the trainer programs around Australia later this year.

The development of the Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) manual for meat industry supervisors is progressing well.

During the industry consultation phase, industry was asked what their preferred format for the kit would be and 52% of respondents selected a website as their preferred format. So we are designing a web page specifically for meat processing supervisors which will be developed and added to the MINTRAC, AMPC or MLA website, depending on the preference of the project funders.

This website will be made up of a number of sections including:

The regulatory environment Supervisor responsibilities Induction for meat processing workers WHS Management factsheets Critical risk fact sheets (developed from industry feedback) Other risks common to the industry PPE Current industry research Training options Sources of information

With an abundance of other valuable websites such as the OH&S and Workers Compensation Database on the AMIC website, MLA OH&S Reference guide for the red meat industry and the WorkCover sites for all states, we will ensure that appropriate links are provided from the WHS for supervisor’s webpage.

This webpage is scheduled to be released by the end of the year.

For more information please contact Kate Christensen kchristensen@mintrac.com.au

Page 9 October 2012

With the completion of the Waste Water Management Manual, AMPC and MINTRAC will be launching the Wastewater Workshops on Wednesday, October 25. These workshops will be taking place in VIC, WA, NSW and QLD:

These one-day workshops are designed to implement and validate the new Waste Water management manual with current operators and to provide training to individuals who will be providing future training in this area.

The workshops will be facilitated by Mike Johns of Johns Environmental with the support of Trevor Bridal of Bridal Consulting.

For more information please contact Kate Christensen kchristensen@mintrac.com.au

Location Date Venue

VIC 25 October 2012 Box Hill Institute of Tafe

Conference room B, Building E4

465 Elgar Rd, Box Hill VIC 3128

WA 8 November 2012 Lighthouse Beach Resort

Carey Street, Bunbury WA 6230

NSW 22 November 2012 Holiday Inn Sydney Airport

O'Riordan Street Sydney NSW 2020

QLD 29 November 2012 The Colmslie Hotel

Corner Wynnum and Junction Roads Morningside 4170

Waste Water workshops

MINTRAC National Training Conference Change of date

Due to a clash with the Easter break at the end of March, the 2013 MINTRAC National Training Conference will now be held on 10-11th April 2013. The theme of next year’s conference will be “Focus on Assessment” and the program will include national assessment validation workshops for all sectors of the meat industry.

Please mark this change in your diaries.