Australia’s meat processing industry relies on a range of specialised roles to support food supply, safety and quality throughout the production process.
Certificate III qualifications provide a pathway into these roles, including through apprenticeships and traineeships, equipping learners with the practical skills needed to work across different parts of the industry.
Click across the tabs to view active and completed project stages. Consultation takes place at every stage of the project.
Project scope and purpose
This project will review and revise training package products related to the Certificate III meat processing qualifications to better reflect industry needs and training package requirements. Updates will be based on stakeholder consultation and carried out in accordance with the Training Package Organising Framework (TPOF) 2025 and relevant policy requirements.
In finding solutions to identified challenges, training products may be removed, merged, and/or deleted, and new ones developed to support current technologies or processes.
This project is part of the third stage of a broader initiative to update the entire AMP Australian Meat Processing Training Package. The Retail Butchery and Smallgoods Project is also underway, and draft documents for both projects will become available for feedback at the same time.
Training products for review include:
six qualifications
AMP30116 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Boning Room)
AMP30216 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Food Services)
AMP30421 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Rendering)
AMP30516 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Slaughtering)
AMP31116 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Livestock Handling)
AMP31216 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Packing Operations)
Five recently reviewed qualifications will require updates to reflect revisions to units as part of this project:
AMP30622 Certificate III in Meat Processing
AMP30322 Certificate III in Meat Safety Inspection
AMP20125 Certificate II in Meat Processing
four skill sets
AMPSS00014 Effective Stunning (Captive Bolt) Skill Set
AMPSS00015 Effective Stunning (Electrical Stunning) Skill Set
seventy-five units
AMPA2177 Handle working dogs in stock yards
AMPA3001 Stick and bleed animal
AMPA3004 Monitor the effective operations of electrical stimulation
AMPA3010 Overview legging operation
AMPA3012 Make first leg opening cuts
AMPA3013 Make second leg opening cuts
AMPA3014 Perform legging on small stock
AMPA3015 Perform animal slaughter in accordance with Halal certification requirements
AMPA3024 Perform flanking cuts
AMPA3029 Scald and dehair carcase
AMPA3034 Eviscerate animal carcase
AMPA3040 Operate brisket cutter or saw
AMPA3045 Drop sock and pull shoulder pelt
AMPA3046 Undertake retain rail operations
AMPA3048 Bone small stock carcase – leg
AMPA3049 Slice and trim leg – small stock
AMPA3050 Bone large stock carcase – forequarter
AMPA3051 Bone large stock carcase – hindquarter
AMPA3052 Slice and trim large stock forequarter
AMPA3053 Slice and trim large stock hindquarter
AMPA3054 Break carcase using a bandsaw
AMPA3062 Operate trunk boning machine
AMPA3063 Bone small stock carcase – shoulder
AMPA3064 Bone small stock carcase – middle
AMPA3065 Slice small stock carcase – shoulder
AMPA3066 Slice small stock carcase – middle
AMPA3068 Prepare and despatch meat products
AMPA3071 Implement food safety program
AMPA3086 Monitor boiler operations
AMPA3117 Oversee product loadout
AMPA3133 Manage NLIS data for pigs in lairage
AMPA3134 Overview of the NLIS Pork
AMPA3136 Monitor welfare of stock during out-of-hours receival
AMPA3137 Operate biogas facilities
AMPA3138 Identify secondary sexual characteristics – beef
AMPG303 Receive and inspect wild game carcases from the field
AMPG304 Receive and inspect wild game carcases at a processing plant
AMPG305 Store wild game carcases
AMPG307 Inspect wild game field depot
AMPP301 Operate a poultry carcase delivery system
AMPP302 Debone and fillet poultry product (manually)
AMPREN301 Operate and monitor a batch rendering process
AMPREN302 Operate and monitor a continuous dry rendering process
AMPREN303 Operate and monitor a low temperature wet rendering process
AMPREN304 Operate a tallow refining process
AMPREN305 Operate a blood coagulation and drying process
AMPREN306 Render edible products
AMPSMA201 Slice product using simple machinery
AMPX309 Identify and repair equipment faults
AMPX316 Monitor product to be sent to rendering
AMPX317 Monitor product flow in an automated process
AMPX410 Facilitate achievement of enterprise environmental policies and goals
AMPX418 Lead communication in the workplace
AMPX431 Oversee meat processing establishment’s Halal compliance
Companion Volume and Implementation Guides.
AMP release 8.1 Companion Volume V8.1 February 2025 part 1 of 2 (Implementation Guide)
AMP release 8.1 Companion Volume V8.1 February 2025 part 2 of 2 (Implementation Guide)
Consultation approach
Stakeholder input is is central to this project. Opportunities to provide targeted feedback will occur:
- when the draft materials are made available for feedback as part of Broad Consultation
- as part of Consensus Gathering, when the final drafts will be made available for review.
Skills Insight and MINTRAC have created a list of key stakeholder organisations to approach for involvement in this project. If you are aware of an organisation that should be included, please contact the project team at [email protected]
A Technical Committee will be assembled to support the development of the updated training package products. The Technical Committee will be guided by a Consultation Strategy and Technical Committee (TC) Terms of Reference which will be made available on this webpage once finalised.
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If you would like to receive updates about this project, please subscribe to our newsletter and select ‘meat processing’ as one of your industries of interest.
Timeline
Project team
Tom Vassallo
Project Manager
Skills Insight
[email protected]
Clive Richardson
Stakeholder Engagement
MINTRAC
The Frontline Group
Developers
Work is currently underway to revise the Certificate III meat processing qualifications, and related skill sets and units, to better reflect industry needs and training package requirements. Initial drafts will be available for broad review and comment in early September. Industry stakeholders including associations, unions, employers, workers, trainers and students are invited to provide input into the drafts, including insights about current and emerging workforce needs.
Technical Committee establishment
A Technical Committee was assembled to guide the project, including employers, industry, the union and training providers, with experience covering meat processing (including beef, sheep and pork), domestic and export markets, fellmongery, and education and training. The Committee met for the first time in August to consider the Consultation Strategy and Terms of Reference, and provide initial advice on the design of the qualifications. The Committee will review the draft training package products prior to broad public consultation and provide input on revisions throughout the project.
Subscribe for updates
If you would like to receive updates about this project, please subscribe to our newsletter and select ‘Meat’ as one of your industries of interest.
Register for a Broad Consultation workshop
You’re invited to join one of our workshops during the Broad Consultation stage. Register to discuss draft materials and provide insights on current and emerging workforce needs
In-person
Online
Certificate III meat processing qualifications, and related skill sets and units, are being updated to better reflect industry needs and training package requirements.
Initial drafts have been developed in consultation with the Technical Committee. You are invited to provide feedback between 1 September and 31 October 2026.
Summary of changes
Revisions include ensuring alignment with the Training Package Organising Framework 2025, and:
For a detailed list of changes to the draft qualifications and units of competency, please see the Summary of Changes.
Register for a Broad Consultation workshop
You’re invited to join one of our workshops during the Broad Consultation stage. Register to discuss draft materials and provide insights on current and emerging workforce needs
In-person
Online
Retail Butchery and Smallgoods Project also underway
This project is running concurrently with the Retail Butchery and Smallgoods Project, which includes units that are also part of the qualifications in scope for review. We encourage you to provide feedback on these units, along with any draft materials relevant to your experience.
Subscribe for updates
If you would like to receive updates about this project, please subscribe to our newsletter and select ‘Meat’ as one of your industries of interest.
View the drafts and provide feedback
By clicking on the documents in the accordions below you can submit feedback using our Feedback Hub. You you can post comments directly on the draft documents as well as view comments from others. Your comments will remain anonymous. Read the full User Instructions. Only Skills Insight staff and contractors working directly on the project can identify users. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. The feedback hub is also moderated to avoid misuse.
If you’d prefer to email your feedback, you can download the documents in Word format and provide feedback by email to [email protected]
To better reflect industry needs and meet the requirements of the the Training Package Organising Framework 2025, the qualifications listed below have had changes to the Qualification Description, Packaging Rules (including the removal of the ‘Points system’), Core and Electives, and the inclusion of Foundation Skills Mapping. Their qualification codes will be updated at endorsement.
Two qualifications with low enrolments in recent years are proposed to be merged with other existing qualifications to help retain the skills and knowledge covered by these qualifications. Feedback is encouraged on how these skills have been incorporated into the merged qualifications.
Stakeholders are encouraged to consider the following questions about the qualifications:
For the rendering qualifcations, should this project:
For the boning room and slaughtering qualifications:
For the Food Services qualification:
AMP3X327 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Boning Room)
AMP3X427 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Food Services)
AMP3X627 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Slaughtering)
AMP3X527 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Rendering)
AMP3X227 Certificate III in Meat Processing
AMP31116 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Livestock Handling) – proposed to be merged as a specialisation within the Certificate III in Meat Processing
AMP31216 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Packing Operations) – proposed to be merged with AMP30216 Certificate III in Meat Processing (Food Services), which already contains some of the same ‘Packaging outcome units’
You may also download the documents in Word format and provide feedback by email to [email protected]
To meet the requirements of the the Training Package Organising Framework 2025, the three qualifications below have been updated to replace superseded units with current units. These changes are considered minor, resulting in new releases of each qualification rather than new qualification codes. These qualifications with not undergo further updates as a result of this project, as they have recently been updated as part of other projects.
AMP30322 Certificate III in Meat Safety Inspection – Release 2
AMP40222 Certificate IV in Meat Processing – Release 2
AMP40522 Certificate IV in Meat Safety Inspection – Release 2
You may also download the documents in Word format and provide feedback by email to [email protected]
The revised Skill Sets have had superseded units and Pathways information updated to better reflect industry needs:
AMPSSXXX01 Effective Stunning (Captive Bolt) Skill Set
AMPSSXXX02 Effective Stunning (Electrical Stunning) Skill Set
AMPSSXXX03 Humane Slaughter of Animals Skill Set
You may also download the documents in Word format and provide feedback by email to [email protected]
These units have been updated to better reflect industry needs and meet the requirements of the the Training Package Organising Framework 2025. For a detailed breakdown of changes, please download the Summary of Changes document. Key updates across the units include:
Stakeholders are asked to consider the following questions when reviewing the units:
You may also download the documents in Word format and provide feedback by email to [email protected]
Five units are proposed for deletion as the outcomes are available in other units:
| Unit | Reason for proposed deletion |
|---|---|
| AMPA3010 Overview legging operation | Unit is being proposed for deletion due to duplication. It was theory-only and the evidence addressed in this unit was already captured in the units it was a pre-requisite to. With the proposed deletion, this unit has been removed as a prerequisite in the drafts for: • AMPABA3X09 Make first leg opening cuts • AMPABA3X10 Make second leg opening cuts • AMPABA3X11 Perform legging on small stock |
| AMPA3023 Explain opening cuts | Unit duplicates knowledge outcomes already captured in units it is a pre-requisite for. With the proposed deletion, this unit has been removed as a prerequisite in the drafts for: • AMPABA3X16 Perform flanking cuts • AMPABA3X17 Perform brisket cuts • AMPABA3X19 Perform rosette cuts • AMPABA3X20 Perform midline cuts • AMPABA3X14 Perform ‘Y’ cut • AMPABA3X18 Perform rumping cuts. |
| AMPA3042 Backdown pig carcase | Unit duplicates the outcomes of existing unit AMPBAS3X07 Break carcase using a bandsaw. |
| AMPX410 Facilitate achievement of enterprise environmental policies and goals | Unit duplicates outcomes from other cross-sector environmental sustainability units, including BSBSUS411 Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices. |
| AMPX418 Lead communication in the workplace | Unit duplicates other cross-sector units of competency, including BSBXCM501 Lead communication in the workplace. |
Feedback on the deletion of these units is being collected through a short survey.
The AMP Australian Meat Processing Training Package Companion Volume Implementation Guide (CVIG) is also available for review and comment.
AMP Companion Volume Implementation Guide
You may also download the document in Word format and provide feedback by email to [email protected]
This stage has not yet commenced.
At the Consensus Gathering stage, we check our work with stakeholders to confirm that solutions are in line with expectations.
This stage has not yet commenced.
At the finalisation stage, final checks are conducted and the outcomes of the project are submitted to the Department for consideration. Following this, outcomes are published or enacted.
Project background
The AMP Training Package underwent a series of small changes between 2015 – 2020 to meet specific industry needs. While carrying out this work, it became apparent that the entire training package required review. A full review was proposed and is now being completed in stages to minimise disruption to current apprenticeships and ongoing training and workforce development:
This Skills Insight JSC project is being managed with the support of MINTRAC as part of their collaborative partnership with Skills Insight. MINTRAC has a strong history working with the Australian meat processing industry on skills and training solutions and have been engaged by Skills Insight to deliver this project in partnership.
