Training butchers at the highest level

In 2015 the SPAR group invested more than HUF 1.7 billion in expanding their 7,500m² meat processing plant with a slicing unit and a training centre to 10,900m². Ferenc Horváth, director of the REGNUM Meat Plant and Training Centre in Bicske told: it is very difficult to find adequately skilled workers – not only in the Bicske region but in the meat processing industry in general. In their own training centre the group educates workers from the meat plant and SPAR shops. At the same time they are trying to establish cooperation with vocational schools, offering the chance to students to do their apprenticeship at SPAR or REGNUM, e.g. from the Bercsényi Miklós Food Industry Vocational School 20-25 students do their professional practice here every year.

They also cooperate with Szent István University, from where 6-7 students do their 16-week internship in the meat processing plant every year. If both parties like what they see, these students are offered positions by the group afterwards. What is more, the meat plant also implements technological development projects in partnership with the university. SPAR was the first Hungarian retail chain to earn the right for using the Quality Hungarian Pork (KMS) trademark with their tray-packaged REGNUM meat products. Last year the Bicske plant processed 3,000 cows and 600,000 half pigs to produce 1.6 million kg of beef and 14.6 million kg of pork meat. (x)