Typical Career Progression
| |
Position |
Remuneration |
Experience |
Education |
| Start Position |
1st Year Apprentice |
$20,000 |
None |
Min. Year 10 pass. |
| 1st Promotion |
2nd Year Apprentice |
$23,000 |
1 year |
Ongoing training through a registered training organisation |
| 2nd Promotion |
3rd Year Apprentice |
$25,000 |
2 years |
|
| 3rd Promotion |
Qualified |
$30,000 - $55,000 |
3+ years |
|
** Please note this should only be used as a guide.
Typical accountabilities and responsibilities
| 1st Year Apprentice |
Learn the importance of proper hygiene around foods, Take breads/rolls/pastries etc out of the oven. Clean equipment. |
| 2nd Year Apprentice |
Mix up dough for breads, pastries, rolls. Ensure cooking times are correct and correct oven temperatures. Place products into ovens. |
| 3rd Year Apprentice |
Learn about ordering procedures and how to determine quantities of products required plus all of the above. |
| Qualified |
All of the above. May do extra courses learning about running of businesses. |
** Please note this should only be used as a guide.
Career Path & Employment opportunities
As a baker you are able to be employed in a bakery, in a factory producing baked products, or even in in-store supermarkets bakeries. With a large capital investment, a positive attitude and commitment to hard work you can open your own bakery, selling breads and or specialty products. There are franchise opportunities available – Bakers Delight is an example.
You could utilise your skills and change career direction to a Pastrycook. Your work environment is still specialist cake shops, manufacturing firms, hot-bread shops and in-store supermarket bakeries. A small number work in international or five-star hotels. Demand for pastrycooks and sales of cakes and pastries are at their highest around Christmas. Demand is greater than supply for highly skilled and experienced pastrycooks and if all else fails with sufficient start-up funds you open your own business.
You could also have the opportunity to become part of a sales team selling wholesale foods or join bread manufacturers such as George Weston Foods or Goodman Fielder or manage a bakery.
About the Author
Baker - Baking Industry Association Victoria
The Baking Industry Association of Victoria provides support and motivation to ensure the success and development of the entire baking industry. We represent the manufacturing, wholesale and retail sectors. Over 300 independent and franchise members employ bakers, pastrycooks, cake decorators or customer service personnel in most areas of metropolitan and regional Victoria.
Did you know that it takes 9 seconds for a combine to harvest enough wheat to make about 70 loaves of bread?