CRAFT CERTIFICATE LEADS THE WAY

The Craftsman Certificate was developed by Scottish Federation of Meat Traders Association in response to Industry and employer demand for a benchmark for the craft skills of the retail meat industry. The Craftsman Certificate is viewed as the mark of a butcher and as such is held in high esteem and valued by business owners.

The Craftsman Certificate comprises 8 units which are outcome based and the full Craftsman Certificate can only be awarded on achievement of all the units. Within the Craftsman Certificate is the provision for a combination of units which will provide specific job related certificates e.g. Cutting Butcher Certificate, Manufacturing Butcher Certificate, Processing Butcher Certificate, Butcher/Baker Certificate.

Employers are totally engaged with the learning programme as they take responsibility for the skills learnt. Each of the units are initially assessed by observations carried out by employers/supervisors on their own premises and then quality assured by qualified Assessors and Verifiers supplied through Scottish Meat Training.

What are the benefits of credit rating?
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) was developed to help both employers and employees understand and compare the range of qualification available in Scotland. Mainstream qualifications, such as those offered in schools, are included in the framework and organisations such as the Scottish Federation of Meat Traders are being encouraged to place their industry standard programmes and qualifications on to the SCQF.

Having this learning programme credit rated means that it`s level can be easily compared to the level of other qualifications including SVQ`s, HNC/D`s and degrees.

Industry specific qualifications ensure that employees have the right skills that, in this case, will give Craft Butchers an advantage in the market place via the quality of the meat, benefit of maturation, range of products on offer and great customer service. The Craftsman Certificate also helps to preserve the craft skills of the traditional butcher and improve the attractiveness of the industry to new entrants.