The American Association of Meat Processors is launching a new membership type for 2026. A new Student Membership is available for college students who are looking to start a career in the meat industry.

In the past, university students have been able to join AAMP through an Allied Membership. However, the Student Membership allows students to join the association for $20 for a 1-year membership. An AAMP Student Member will have access to educational materials that supplement the training that they are getting at school. AAMP resources include safety training videos, food safety materials, archived webinars, product development ideas and more.

One of the benefits to the Student Members, for new and existing members, is AAMP’s Career Center. Students will be able to view the association’s job board and see what positions are available from AAMP’s Processor Members. They can also create and upload resumes as a part of their member profile, and that resume will be available for AAMP Processor and Suppliers Members to view when looking for job applicants. The career center, in addition to AAMP's internship program, can help students get a taste of the small and very small meat processing business and then start their career once they graduate.

"We want meat science and animal science students to be able to experience the full scope of the meat industry before they launch their careers," said Chris Young, AAMP executive director. "Small and very small processors don’t necessarily have the most visibility in the industry, but our members are extremely creative and are great places to work.

"We hope to introduce our student members to some great job opportunities while enhancing their industry knowledge. At the same time, our Processor Members can pass along some of their knowledge to the next generation of industry leaders and, hopefully, learn some things from them, too."

To register, students can go to www.aamp.com and click on the "Register" link on the top right of any page. Students must register using a school email address in order for the membership to be processed and approved. Student members will be able to access all the members-only portions of the AAMP website, but a Student Member Resources page is available at https://aamp.com/page/students.

Future plans with the Student Membership level include social gatherings at the AAMP convention. AAMP looks forward to engaging with students, as well as AAMP’s Allied Members in the academic side of the industry, to develop a student membership that helps develop well-rounded industry professionals.

AAMP wants students to be aware of the full scope of the meat industry, from the biggest processing companies to the smallest meat markets/butcher shops to the industry suppliers.

Source: American Association of Meat Processors