William Angliss Institute graduate takes out top prizes at Victorian Training Awards
At a gala ceremony on August 30, butcher Matthew Tyquin won Victoria’s Apprentice of the Year and the People’s Choice Award.
Mr Tyquin has had a passion for butchery since he started working at Ashburton Meats at 15 years old.
After graduating from a Bachelor of Biomedicine at La Trobe University, he decided to return to butchery, pursuing a Certificate III in Meat Processing Retail Butcher at the William Angliss Institute.
“It can’t be real,” Mr Tyquin said after the ceremony.
Receiving both awards was an awesome feeling and winning the People’s Choice Award made me realise just how much support I have from my friends, family and the whole community.
Mr Tyquin has thanked his manager Paul Klooster, the team at Ashburton Meats and his mentor from the William Angliss Institute, Peter O’Rourke.
“I am very proud of Matt winning both awards,” Mr O’Rourke said. “He always puts in 100 per cent on all tasks and has worked hard for and with Paul, his employer at Ashburton Meats, to become the best butcher he can be.”
Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney congratulated all of the night’s winners, saying, “Each of you is contributing to making our world-class TAFE and training system stronger, better and accessible to all Victorians.”
Mr Tyquin previously won the title of World Champion Butcher Apprentice at the 2022 World Butchers Challenge.
He has mentored apprentices himself and hopes to promote butchery to younger generations.
“As the meat processing industry evolves, butchery has become regarded as a craft. The legacy of this tradition relies on apprentice butchers, like me, to inspire interest and passion among the younger generation, ensuring its tradition continues to thrive,” Mr Tyquin said.
“I hope that promoting and educating consumers about where meat comes from continues and that butchering keeps creating new value-added products to help better use the whole animal,” he said.
Mr Tyquin is now in the running to represent Victoria at the upcoming Australian Training Awards in December.

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