LIVINGSTON — Every Wednesday, five students from Joliet High School travel to the Producer Partnership location east of Livingston to learn the fundamentals of meat processing, a trade that has been a Montana staple for hundreds of years.
At a time when meat processors are becoming increasingly scarce, one nonprofit organization is taking a creative approach to inspire the next generation of workers in this essential industry.
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"There's a shortage of that beef and cattle processing," said Clark Begger, Joliet superintendent.
Producer Partnership, owned by Matt Pierson, has launched what appears to be the first program of its kind in Montana, offering high school students hands-on experience in meat processing through a weekly work-study program.
"The more skills you have as you get older, the better off you are," Pierson said.
Seniors Gavin Thompson and Kasen Krook are among the first five Montana students participating in the program, learning the trade's ins and outs on a weekly basis.
"I hunt enough that it's helping me with that as well," Thompson said. "I'm super appreciative. This has been a great opportunity to learn and I'm excited about what I can learn."
For Thompson, the experience has been eye-opening.
"It's definitely pretty impactful. I mean there's definitely some things here where I was like 'Wow I didn't know where that came from,'" Thompson said.
Krook sees the program as valuable life preparation.
"I feel like it can help me a lot through life. It could be a life skill," Krook said. "Anybody can do it. It's pretty simple. You just gotta learn it."
Program Born from Existing Partnership
The educational initiative grew from an existing relationship between Producer Partnership and Joliet schools. For years, Pierson's organization has helped local ranchers donate beef to Montana school lunch programs, which is how he met Begger.
"You know teach people the art. Let them understand what it takes and how their food is produced," Pierson said, describing his long-held dream of offering hands-on learning opportunities.
When Pierson approached Begger about bringing students to learn meat processing skills, the superintendent immediately embraced the idea.
"He had talked about bringing some students up here to work with them and teach them some skills," Begger said.
This year marked the first time Pierson's vision became reality.
"To be able to get a small school like Joliet to be that excited to have that many students really to be able to show up once a week is huge for us," Pierson said.
Preparing Students for Life Beyond School
Begger believes the work-study program provides valuable preparation for students regardless of whether they pursue careers in meat processing.
"All the exposure to help them when they walk out of Joliet schools that they're on a path," Begger said.
The program's impact is already being felt by participating students.
"I think this is a great program. It's definitely something I'd encourage people to do if they get the chance," Thompson said.
Expansion Plans
Pierson hopes to expand the program to include more schools and students.
"We would love to do this everyday. I mean any school that wants to be a part of it, we would enjoy it," Pierson said.
The initiative addresses both the immediate need for skilled workers in Montana's meat processing industry and provides students with practical life skills that extend beyond any single career path.
