Australia needs butchers, lucrative salary awaits

By RODRIGO S. VICTORIA, (PIA Biliran)
July 1, 2006

NAVAL, Biliran  – A promising opportunity awaits the Filipino butchers and slaughterhouse workers as the Australian government is in need of these kind of workers with corresponding big salaries.

This was revealed by Lino Severino, Supervising TESDA Specialist of the provincial office of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) here during the regular radio program PIA Kapihan at Pulong-Pulong ng Bayan.

Severino said that the hiring of butchers and slaughterhouse workers is in line with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s (PGMA) Work Training and Scholarship Program. The program is aimed at providing Filipino workers the appropriate training skills and competencies to be able to give them a big opportunity of employment and livelihood. It is also part of PGMA’s ten-point legacy agenda to generate six to ten million jobs during her term until the year 2010.

He added that the budget allocation of TESDA for this year is increased to P500 M to expand the agency’s programs and activities geared towards further improving the skills competency of the Filipino workers and providing them vast opportunities for employment and livelihood.

Severino said that the applicant for butchers and slaughterhouse workers must have an 18 years experience on the job to be certified by the market/slaughterhouse supervisor or any person of competent authority, must have completed at least third year high school and with an age ranging from 30 to 35 years old.

The butchers and slaughterhouse workers will have to undergo six weeks training in a training center located in Pampanga after submitting the necessary requirements including the corresponding training package amount of P26,000. The qualified trainee will only pay the amount of P21,000.00 and the rest will be shouldered by TESDA, Severino further said.

He added that after the six weeks training, the applicant will be assessed by TESDA as to his knowledge and skills acquired during the training including the physical and moral fitness of the qualified candidates for the job bound for Australia.

What is more promising and enticing with the job opportunity which is open to all qualified and interested butchers and slaughterhouse workers in the country is the estimated monthly salary of P90,000.00, he said.

At present, TESDA is preparing a curriculum designed to train butchers and slaughterhouse workers with the appropriate techniques, skills and knowledge on butchering and slaughtering good for 160 training hours.