Education · 1 of 4

The path

There is no school you must attend and no exam you must pass. You get hired and you learn.

1. 1

   High school diploma or GED (General Educational Development) test

   Grade 12

   Useful but not always required. Show up on time and you are ahead of most applicants.

2. 2

   Get hired in a meat department

   Right away

   Start as a clerk: wrapping, weighing, pricing, cleaning. This is the real entry point.

3. 3

   Learn the cuts

   Several months to a year

   Your first months are basic portioning. A few weeks gets you the simple cuts, and a year gets you most of the work.

4. 4

   Apprenticeship or in-house program

   1 to 2 years

   Registered apprenticeships exist for meat cutting, combining paid work with related instruction and ending in a recognized credential.

5. 5

   Head butcher

   3 to 5 years in

   Ordering, cutting tests, managing the case and training the next clerk.