CORNWALL’S food and farming industry is set to get a new pipeline of skilled workers with the launch of a dedicated Butchery Academy at Duchy College.

The new academy will open at the college’s Stoke Climsland campus in October, offering aspiring butchers a route into an industry which remains an important part of Cornwall’s farming and food heritage.

It will initially offer a Level 2 Butchery Apprenticeship, with a Level 3 pathway and shorter courses planned to help existing workers and adults develop their skills.

There is already demand for skilled staff across Cornwall, with employers including Dunbia, Kepak, Philip Warren & Son, Ethringtons and Kittows looking to recruit and develop workers.

The opportunities range from meat processing and production through to skilled butchery and retail.

The academy has been developed alongside Cornish employers to ensure its training reflects the skills businesses need in the workplace.

It will offer a “farm-to-fork” curriculum, combining practical butchery training with an understanding of the journey from livestock and food production through to processing and the finished product.

Learners will also visit farms, businesses and other industry partners across Cornwall as part of their training.

Duchy College principal Darren Evans said butchery remained an important part of Cornwall’s food and farming heritage.

He said: “Butchery is an important part of Cornwall’s food and farming heritage, connecting our farmers and livestock producers with the food that reaches communities across the county.

“It will give learners the opportunity to experience that journey for themselves, combining practical butchery training with the wider knowledge of food production and the farm-to-fork journey.”

The idea for the academy was first brought to Duchy College by Emma Pate, Learning and Skills Manager at Great Cornish Food, who has campaigned for the development of the sector’s future workforce.

The official launch and information event will be held at the Great Cornish Food Store in Truro on Monday, September 28, ahead of the academy opening at Stoke Climsland in October.