NTC gets $220K for meat processing work

Northcentral Technical College will receive $220,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act to help solve food supply chain challenges through short-term training aimed to rapidly build the workforce in Central Wisconsin.

Funding will be used toward a mobile learning lab that will allow NTC to bring training to students throughout north central Wisconsin. The short-term training aligns with the needs of employers to develop talent in the industry. The training will provide farm-to-table practices that will connect learners from NTC’s Agriculture Center of Excellence to the culinary arts associate degree. It also gives students the opportunity to develop the skills they need to take sustainable meat processing practices back to their communities and help keep food local to address the food supply chain issue.

“A portion of this investment will provide financial support to students in NTC’s meat processing programs,” said Jeannie Worden, NTC president. “We are thankful to Gov. (Tony) Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection for investing in our students and the agriculture community.”

According to EMSI Labor Market Analytics and Economic Data, north central Wisconsin has twice as many jobs in the meat processing industry than the national average, and that number is projected to increase 21% over the next 10 years. The industry will also experience high retirement rates because 27% of those employed are 55 and older.