OPINION: training local staff to support community
![Part of the Sampey Meats Crew in Derby from left Glen Norton, Ray Sampey and Kane Lockyer.](https://images.thewest.com.au/publication/YA-100878/b88105753z.1_20160310114747_000_gb3fv0vi.2_1-1be1s2m.jpg?imwidth=810&impolicy=wan_v3)
Sampey Meats is backing the community of Derby by training local staff.
The Sampey team a strong history of employing apprentices within the Derby community and are finding new ways to ensure training is meeting the needs of their business.
The family-run Derby-based butcher based in Derby has been owned by Ray and Heidi Sampey for 11 years.
Mr Sampey first began working in the shop while going to school.
He enjoyed the work so much that he completed his four-year apprenticeship there.
“It has always been a family run business as my son did an apprenticeship here, my family have always helped out in the shop, and my wife’s son is also a butcher,” Mr Sampey said.
Sampey Meats has a strong apprenticeship and training program, recently employing both a local mature aged apprentice and a school-based trainee to support the business growth.
“We have had eight apprentices in total now over the years,” Mr Sampey said.
Their commitment to training reflects the Sampey’s love of their local community by offering employment and training opportunities to Derby community members.
“Our business is about looking after the locals and trying to put back into the town,” Mr Sampey said.
The distance of Sampey Meats to Perth has sometimes made training difficult for the business, as apprentices must travel to Perth to complete their theoretical training.
Sampey Meats has been working with their training provider to come up with a solution to overcome this issue to ensure training continued.
“Over the years the apprentices had to go to TAFE in Perth, but this year, for one of the blocks, they are going to visit us. This is something I have been trying to make happen for a while now,” Mr Sampey said.
Having a local Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) provider, Apprenticeship Support Australia here in Broome, to support apprentices through their training was also working well.
Local business, supporting the local community, being supported by locally based Apprenticeship Support Australia is making training easier for all out here in regional Western Australia.
Karen Sterrett is a Broome-based Industry Training Consultant with Apprenticeship Support Australia, a Statewide Australian Apprenticeship Support Network Provider supporting businesses and communities with apprenticeships, traineeships and training options.
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