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About ten thousand Asian butchers are needed for meat processing plants and restaurants says an official of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) of the Davao Region in the Philippines.
Elmer K. Talavera, TESDA regional director, said skilled butchers are in demand for turning cattle and sheep into meat cuts for domestic and export markets.
He went onto say that nationals of Countries such as Australia and Canada do not like working in slaughterhouses or as meat cutters in restaurants.
"That's why the meat industries in these countries are sending out feelers to neighboring countries in Asia to fill up the thousands of job openings for butchers there," he said.
TESDA is offering butcher course wherein applicants will undergo six weeks of training.
After six weeks of training, the agency will test the applicant on the knowledge and skills he acquired during the 160 training hours.
"This is part of the government's stimulus package to help the country survive the global economic crisis," Mr. Talavera said.
The Commonwealth Services Group a New Zealand recruiter has confirmed that there is heavy demand for workers in butcher shops, food retailing, the butchery department of supermarkets and grocery. This is due to a decline in the number of apprentices going into these trades between 2001 and 2006.
Butchers with more than four years of experience can apply and are paid between $15-$22 per hour with an average of 40-45 work hours per week.
