École nationale supérieure des métiers de la viande: from know-how to transmission

In the post-war years, the Confédération nationale de la boucherie française (now the Confédération française de la boucherie, boucherie-charcuterie, traiteurs - CFBCT) the idea of creating an institution capable of training future generations in the technical and delicate art of the meat trades. The École nationale supérieure des métiers de la viande (ENSMV) was inaugurated in 1957 on boulevard Soult, with the mission of passing on these artisanal techniques. " There is a real historical know-how specific to France concerning cutting and slicing techniques", explains David Campagne, director of the institution.

Three butchery laboratories and a delicatessen laboratory are located on the first floor. Three times a week, a truck makes round trips to the Rungis market to supply the students with animal carcasses, the raw material that enables them to work. Each year, 300 tons of meat are used in their training. On this day, second-year students are practicing for their vocational diploma, which will take place in May and June. Divided into two groups, and under the watchful eye of instructors Xavier Cavaignac and Michel Massonneau, both Meilleurs ouvriers de France (MOF) - butchery stall class - the students are busy working on lamb carcasses. It's a very technical cut," explains Michel Massonneau. The animal is small and the reference points are precise. It requires patience and finesse."

3,000 students a year

Today, the school welcomes almost 3,000 students a year and is built over 7 floors. In 2019, major renovation work will be undertaken for a total budget of almost 3.5 million euros. The classrooms, the most recent of which were renovated two years ago, are located on the second and fourth floors. In between is the administration level. The establishment employs 25 people, including a teaching team of 6 permanent instructors, including three MOFs. The upper floors also house dormitories for up to 60 people. The school regularly welcomes trainees from all over France.

As well as offering a breathtaking view of Paris, the panoramic terrace on the top floor is occupied on this particular day by a small group of students gathered around one of the members of the French butchery team. This year's MOF winner, Christophe Ip Yan Fat from the Corrèze region of France, is demonstrating meat-decoration techniques in front of pairs of eyes that can't take their eyes off the precision of his movements. Artisanal butchery has a very special place in our company," explains David Campagne. It was a wish of the profession and the CFBCT, and the aim is that, by coming here, apprentices or trainees should also have access to highly specialized, top-of-the-range training, provided by extremely qualified professionals."

Enhancing the attractiveness of training courses

The school offers a variety of educational programs, from a few days' continuing training to more comprehensive professional retraining with the CQP (certificate of professional competence).The CQP (certificat de qualification professionnelle) "Artisanal Butcher Technician" or the CQP "Artisanal Charcutier Préparateur", which takes one year to complete. Diploma courses include the two-year "brevet professionnel Boucher". And let's not forget the university courses created in 2020: the "Management unité marchande boucherie" course in partnership with the Institut Supérieur de Formation, which leads to a Bac+2, and also the "Commerce boucher manager" professional degree. "As the sector is constantly evolving, we felt it was important to create courses adapted to the new challenges, in addition to the butchery industry's technical training", observes David Campagne.

According to CFBCT estimates, there are 15,600 business owners in France, representing 18,000 outlets and nearly 80,000 professionals. Apprentices, numbering 10,000 a year, are still insufficient to ensure the renewal of generations in the trade. This is one of the profession's biggest challenges," continues the school's director. Artisanal butchers and delicatessens are local businesses that contribute to the vitality of city centers. If we want to preserve this vitality, we need to be able to offer attractive, high-quality training courses. " In September, the ENSMV, in coordination with the CFBCT, will be launching a digital platform dedicated to the meat trades, offering a wide range of teaching aids for students and all the country's apprentice training centers.