Meat & Poultry Workforce Development Projects

Establishing an education pipeline to strengthen the MPP workforce in the Caribbean (USDA-RIIA-22)

This is a collaborative effort between the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez (UPRM) and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) -St. Croix and -St. Thomas. Participating institutions will establish a minor concentration (or equivalent) in Meat Processing to better prepare students to enter the meat and poultry processing (MPP) workforce. Industry input will be vital in the development of educational materials. Each year participating students will have the opportunity to attend a “787 Workshop Series” as well as a “787 Study Tour.” These activities will provide hands-on MPP experience through UPRM’s Fresh Meats Laboratory as well as provide the opportunity to explore existing businesses in Puerto Rico. These activities will be carried out over the summertime and participants will be mentored to identify an internship opportunity as well. With the help of engineering students enrolled in capstone courses, model blueprints for the establishment of small processing plants will be created to facilitate business plan development and establishment for interested individuals. The main idea behind this project is to generate competent and food safety knowledgeable professionals that will positively impact the MPP industries in the Caribbean.

 

PRMIA: A strategic alliance impacting Puerto Rico’s meat and poultry industry by using immersive teaching methods to deliver instruction (USDA-HSI-23)

This project is an attempt to bring together all of Puerto Rico’s meat and poultry industry (MPI) stakeholders to address common needs. After organizing the various groups (i.e., beef, pork, poultry, and small ruminants) into a single team, the Puerto Rico Meat Industry Alliance (PRMIA), focuses shifts towards establishing an industry approved certification for its workforce with content defined by stakeholders. Then, resources from participating higher education institutions (e.g., UPR-Mayagüez, UPR-Arecibo, UPR-Medical Sciences, UPR-Utuado, Interamerican University, Ana G. Méndez University) will work together (as needed) to generate educational materials and offer the certification. Certification offering will take place through the UPRM’s Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies (DECEP) as this allows the opportunity to pull the best available resources in Puerto Rico. The developed certification will be available to university students from participating institutions, MPI workers, and the general public interested in pursuing careers in the MPI. In the long run, this project should move Puerto Rico’s MPI to the next level of performance and production; positively impacting Puerto Rico’s food security as well as social and economic conditions of MPI participants.

If you are interested in participating, or would like to receive more information, send us an email to katherine.domenech@upr.edu. It would be our pleasure to be of assistance.