Butcher (Fleischer/in)
You cut meat, make sausages and ready meals and advise customers: a 3-year training, paid from the first year, alternating between the workplace and school.
What a butcher does
They assess the quality of meat, cut it and prepare it for sale or process it into sausages, dishes and preserves; depending on the post, they also slaughter animals.
Cut
Assess the quality of the meat, cut and bone it, then prepare it for sale.
Process
Cook, mince, smoke and season to make sausages, cured products and ready meals.
Sell and serve
Present products at the counter, advise customers, prepare dishes for a party service.
This occupation is for you if…
- you enjoy manual work with knives and cutting machines
- you follow hygiene and animal welfare rules without fail
- you have a good sense of taste and smell for checking quality
- you like advising customers and presenting products
Less suitable if…
- you struggle with the smell of raw meat or the sight of blood
- you do not want to take part in slaughtering animals
- you struggle with cold, heat and damp
A typical day in the workshop
What you will learn, what is expected of you
Technical skills
Cutting and boningSausage makingSmoking and curingFood hygieneReady mealsAdvice and sellingPersonal qualities
Manual dexterityRigourHygiene awarenessStaminaPeople skillsHow the Ausbildung works
In Germany you learn by working: this is the “dual system”. You are an employee of a company and a student at a vocational school (Berufsschule) at the same time.
The basics
- Hygiene and food law
- Assessing and cutting carcasses
- First cooked sausages
Production
- Cooked and scalded sausages
- Roasts and ready-to-cook products
- Intermediate exam
Mastery
- Cured meats, mince, packaging
- 2 options chosen by the employer
- Final exam
Exams and qualification
An intermediate exam (Zwischenprüfung) before the end of the second year: practical (up to 4 hours) and written (up to 150 minutes). The final exam (Gesellenprüfung): a practical part of 5 tasks (up to 8 hours) with a 15-minute discussion, then a written part in 3 subjects. The qualification is issued by the HWK (Chamber of Crafts) or the IHK (Chamber of Commerce) depending on the employer.
You are paid during the training
Gross monthly pay during the training. These amounts are averages: they vary by region, sector and collective agreement.
What you need to apply
Education level
German level
Physical fitness
Documents to prepare
- CV and cover letter in German
- Translated baccalaureate diplomas and transcripts
- German B2 level certificate
Advantages and difficulties
Advantages
- Paid from the first year
- Qualification recognised throughout Germany
- Jobs in crafts, industry and retail
- Possibility of setting up your own business
Difficulties
- Physical work: lifting and carrying loads
- Cold, heat and damp depending on the room
- Contact with raw meat, blood, even slaughter
- A grounding in German is needed to advise
Where it can lead
Skilled butcher
Jobs in craft butchers, the meat industry, retail or slaughterhouses.
Further training
Specialise (party service, ready meals) or become a technician (Techniker) in food technology.
Master butcher or studies
Take the Fleischermeister (master butcher) exam, open your own shop or study if university entry is met.
Other trainings: Agriculture, environment and sciences
Not quite convinced by this occupation? Here are related trainings in the same field.
We are by your side from day one until you arrive in Germany
Four steps to move forward, all run by our own structures.
Take the test online or at the office
The eligibility test is done online on our website, or by visiting our Douala office directly.
Take the testTalk to our team
Germany: +49 (0) 7033 694 18 80
Cameroon: +237 622 20 81 64
DZK, our language centre
Deutschzentrum KAGEDEV (DZK) is our own language centre in Douala. Outside Douala: partner language centres, call us to find the nearest one.
AZUFA is always us
AZUFA is our platform: it connects you with German companies that recruit apprentices and follows your application through to the training contract.
Go to AZUFAFrom German A1 to the first day of training in Germany
Each step is run by one of our structures. You keep the same contact from start to finish.
- 1
Check my eligibility
The test is done online on our website or at our Douala office.
Run by Campus Germany
- 2
Talk to an advisor
Review your profile, your wishes and the chosen occupation.
- 3
Learn German, from A1 to B2
Courses adapted to your starting level, up to the required B2 level. In Douala at our own language centre; elsewhere, with our partner centres.
Run by DZK
- 4
Prepare the application file
CV and cover letter in German, translated baccalaureate diplomas and transcripts, B2 level certificate.
- 5
Find the company and sign the training contract
We connect you with German companies that recruit apprentices, and follow your application through to the contract.
Run by AZUFA
- 6
Prepare the visa and paperwork
Support to gather the documents and complete the administrative steps.
- 7
Prepare your departure and settling in
Travel, housing and first steps in Germany: we prepare you before you leave.
Run by KAGEDEV e.V.
- 8
First day of training in Germany
You arrive prepared and supported, with a team that has known you since day one.
Stay informed
Join our channels to receive new offers, session dates and advice. These are announcement channels: no private conversations.
Our structures for this occupation
Our platform for recruiting apprentices and skilled staff from Africa: matching with German companies through to the training contract.
Our own German language centre, in Douala. Outside Douala: partner centres.
Training offers for this occupation
No offer is open here at the moment. Browse apprenticeship offers on AZUFA, or receive an e-mail as soon as a partner company recruits.
See offers on AZUFA →Take this sheet with you
A 5-page document to read offline or show your family: the occupation, the training, the pay and the whole pathway, from German A1 to the first day of training.
Download the brochure (PDF)You may be wondering…
What German level is required?
How long does the training last?
Am I paid during the training?
Where can I take the eligibility test?
Where can I learn German?
Do I need a health certificate to work?
Is slaughtering part of the training?
Ready to find out whether this occupation is for you?
Take the test online or come and see us at the office. We are by your side from day one until you arrive in Germany.