Freyberger pulls out his ace up his sleeve
The Freyberger butcher shop has been relying on skilled foreign workers for some time. The core of this approach is the accelerated skilled worker program. However, the focus is on training . The butcher shop provides this training and supports the trainees both with accommodation and with their studies. To this end, the company organizes special workshops and special events. These include a seminar on preparing ham , snack , and cheese platters , as well as an extravagant selection of these platters and canapés .
Butcher shops are dying out
Butcher shops have been disappearing for years. A key reason is the lack of young talent. The search for apprentices within the region is often fruitless. That's why Freyberger is focusing on foreign markets. "It's not that we don't want anyone or have nothing to offer. Quite the opposite. Nobody wants to be a butcher anymore," reveals Dirk Freyberger. This is evident throughout Germany. The number of butcher shops has almost halved since the early 2000s, from around 19,000 to about 10,000, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
But the lack of connection to food could also be a reason for this. Statista reports that only around 45% of Germans will cook for themselves every day by 2024. That's less than half the population. By comparison, the figure was 52% in 2021.
"We notice this too. That's why our employees are trained to provide customers with information about meat preparation," says Freyberger. In the butcher trade, this expertise forms an important part of the training . Even if the curriculum is adapted within the trade, it still requires people to do it. And this is where foreign countries can help.
Accelerated skilled worker procedure
"The accelerated skilled worker procedure helps companies and skilled workers from third countries shorten the entry process," explains the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. Freyberger sees this as a blessing. "Although it still involves a lot of bureaucracy, once you've read up on it and know which offices to contact, it works really well," says Dirk. While the administrative apparatus already creates a lot of work, integration is a challenge on top of that.
"We help as best we can. Not just by providing accommodation and German courses, but also with additional courses, training opportunities, and a listening ear for the concerns of our apprentices," explains the world champion butcher. But even the butcher's customers can help.
Big effort, low price
Apprentices have the opportunity to attend special training courses. The costs are naturally borne by the butcher shop. This is also the case with the seminar on preparing ham / cheese and snack platters as well as canapés . The apprentices learn exam-relevant content as well as special cutting techniques and the creative implementation of food art. The seminar is interactive. The apprentices work on practical skills together with the course instructor and also receive theoretical input.
"Now our customers come into play," Freyberger announces. The apprentices need to practice, so the butcher's shop has decided to offer the apprentices ' ham / cheese and snack platters , as well as canapés , at a reduced price. "The apprentices' platters are in no way inferior to the journeymen's platters ," Dirk emphasizes. It's a butcher's initiative so that the apprentices can practice, and at the same time, the customers also benefit. It's a win-win situation. The goal: high levels of expertise for the skilled workers of tomorrow. "The next generation is our future, and that future is now," the world champion butcher announces.
