Academy aims to tackle shortage of new butchers
BBCA new academy is aiming to tackle a shortage of young people with the skills and knowledge needed to sustain the butchery industry.
The academy, at Duchy College's Stoke Climsland campus, will offer apprenticeships developed with Cornwall employers.
Butchery businesses, including Dunbia, Kepak, Philip Warren & Son, Etheringtons and Kittows, have said they are looking to recruit and develop skilled people.
The college said apprenticeships would combine "practical butchery training with the wider knowledge of food production and the farm-to-fork journey".
One of the first batch of 16 apprentices to start in October is 22 year old Bailey Tremain who started working with a Plymouth butcher as a Saturday job when he was 14, and now works there full time.
Tremain said it was important to have a formal qualification in butchery to help keep the trade alive.
"I can put it up on the wall and show all the customers I'm qualified and they're in safe hands," he said.
"Butchery's been dying as a trade over recent years so I'd say to people it's a good thing to do. We need to keep it going in the community," he added.
Tom Jonik is the meat and fish manager at Great Cornish Food Store in Truro and said he had been pushing for the establishment of a butchery academy.
"We have found over the years recruitment has been challenging and I've noticed from doing demonstrations in schools there is nowhere for young adults to go to train to be a butcher."
"Hopefully it will safeguard future butcheries and long maintain the skill of the butcher," he said.
Teresa Copping, director of apprenticeships at Cornwall College Group, said the majority of existing butchers were planning to retire in the next five to ten years.
"Employers spoke to us about the challenges and barriers there are to recruitment and training and their succession planning," she said.
" Apprenticeships are at the heart of the Butchery Academy, giving people the opportunity to earn while they learn, gain valuable industry experience and develop specialist skills alongside experienced professionals."
Applications for the academy are open, with the first apprentices starting their training this month.
Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.